Observed Signal · Feb 12, 2026 · Conference Roster Update · Source: TechCrunch · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Cybersecurity Figure Linked to Epstein Exits Black Hat Conference
Vincenzo Iozzo, a cybersecurity figure linked in newly released DOJ documents to Jeffrey Epstein, has been removed from the review board pages of Black Hat and Japan’s Code Blue conferences. Iozzo, founder and CEO of SlashID, was previously on Black Hat’s review board since 2011 and earlier founded IperLane, which was acquired by CrowdStrike; he served as a senior director at CrowdStrike. His name appears in more than 2,300 documents published by the Department of Justice related to its investigation into Epstein, with interactions dated October 2014 to December 2018. Iozzo denies unlawful conduct, welcomes a full investigation, and said his interactions with Epstein were professional. Code Blue said it had been planning to remove several inactive board members and that the timing coincided with the DOJ release.
Reputational and personnel update within the cybersecurity conference community; limited direct impact on the broader AdTech industry or major platform policies.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Vincenzo Iozzo was removed from the review board pages of Black Hat and Code Blue.
- Iozzo is founder and chief executive of SlashID and previously founded IperLane, which was later acquired by CrowdStrike; he served as a senior director at CrowdStrike for almost four years.
- Iozzo’s name appears in more than 2,300 documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein; his documented interactions with Epstein span October 2014 to December 2018.
- Iozzo denied being Epstein’s hacker or performing unlawful acts for Epstein and said he welcomed a full investigation.
- Code Blue stated the removal of Iozzo coincided with a planned update to remove inactive review board members and overlapped with the public release of the DOJ documents.
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Def Con Bans Three Linked to Epstein Scandal
Def Con announced it has banned three individuals — Pablos Holman, Vincenzo Iozzo, and Joichi Ito — after their names appeared in the Department of Justice’s recent release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein and reporting from Politico. Def Con cited those sources when adding the three to its public list of banned attendees. The article notes prior actions by other cybersecurity events: Black Hat and Code Blue removed Iozzo from their review board pages. Iozzo is identified as founder and CEO of identity startup SlashID and a former director at CrowdStrike; he says his interactions with Epstein were limited to business discussions. Ito resigned as director of the MIT Media Lab in 2019 amid scrutiny over his ties to Epstein. Holman is a general partner at Deep Future and had documented contact with Epstein dating back to 2010.
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