Hacker Culture & Music
The profound impact of revolutionary technologies on identity and privacy has erased the boundaries that defined individuals and geopolitical structures alike. We are known better by others than we know ourselves. Individual identity is a function of observation, not assertion, but its even worse than that: the meaning of "individual" has been altered, yet we act as if it has not. On the geopolitical level, the same dynamic holds. Our complex interlocking systems of systems, penetrated and mapped, can be known by rogue actors in a way that transcends our own understanding of the networks we inhabit and that define our behaviors. At all levels, the name for the ways we secure the very ideas in our heads so we can act with confidence, believing we know that what we think is what is real, is "cognitive security." That means verifying and protecting everything that enters our minds against multitudinous assaults. No one said it would be easy, or if they did, they had no idea what is really happening, not only out there, but in our heads as well. This keynote takes a peek.
Richard Thieme (thiemeworks.com) is an author and professional speaker who speaks professionally about the challenges posed by new technologies and the future, how to redesign ourselves to meet these challenges, and creativity in response to radical change. His speaking addresses "the human in the machine," technology-related security and intelligence issues as they come home to our humanity. He has published numerous articles and short stories, thirteen books, and has delivered hundreds of speeches. His recently completed Mobius Trilogy, which includes "Mobius: A Memoir," "The Mobius Vector," and "Mobius: Out of Time," illuminates the impacts of security and intelligence work on practitioners. He has keynoted security conferences in 15 countries and clients range from GE, Microsoft, Medtronic, Bank of America, Allstate Insurance, and Johnson Controls to the NSA, FBI, US Dept of the Treasury. Los Alamos National Lab, the Pentagon Security Forum, and the US Secret Service. He spoke in 2022 at Def Con for the 26th year and was named an "uber contributor."
We proudly present SecretCon, an entirely unparalleled conference for the state of Minnesota, built for our new digital reality. This conference is dedicated to the many specialties of our hacker, cybersecurity, and privacy community. We have taken it upon ourselves to construct a conference that not only embraces our past, but also looks to the future. Join us!
