Where Warlocks Stay Up Late
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Podcast Overview
<div class="elementor-element elementor-element-23d98ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p>Where Warlocks Stay Up Late is an interview series dedicated to documenting the history of cybersecurity. Inspired by the seminal book “Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet”, this interview series aims to capture the stories, insights, and legacies of the pioneering figures who shaped the field of cybersecurity from its inception to the present day.</p> </div> </div>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
12/19/2024
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Recent Episodes
March 3, 2026
Episode 10: Cris Thomas aka Space Rogue
Cris Thomas, also known as Space Rogue, was a founding member of the legendary L0pht Heavy Industries — the hacker collective that famously told the U.S. Senate they could take down the internet in 30 minutes. He would go on to found the Hacker News Network, giving the underground a voice and warning the world how vulnerable it was. He told the full story in his award-winning book, Space Rogue.Chapters0:00 Intro0:40 Who is Space Rogue?2:58 Growing up in rural Maine4:20 Parents' divorce and its lasting impact5:44 Building flashlights from trash — early curiosity7:33 Childhood trauma and turning to computers11:38 Joining the Army and buying his first Mac14:47 Discovering BBSs and the modem world21:10 Origin of the "Space Rogue" handle23:19 Working as a security guard at Lotus24:34 Dialing into BBSs from the Lotus overnight shift32:27 The Works, 2600 meetings, and meeting the crew36:13 What hacker meetups were actually like40:28 Working at CompUSA with future L0pht members42:59 CDC vs L0pht — setting the record straight46:26 How the L0pht actually formed53:37 The MIT flea market57:10 Paranoia about law enforcement and the hacker crackdowns1:01:54 Finding vulnerabilities and responsible disclosure struggles1:06:16 L0pht v1 to v2 — moving to Watertown and membership changes1:13:47 Fondest L0pht memories1:16:25 Realizing L0pht was famous at Beyond Hope1:19:02 L0phtCrack, t-shirts, and turning the hobby into a business1:23:06 The birth of Hacker News Network1:28:36 Breaking stories and becoming the "Voice of Reason"1:31:01 Legion of Underground declares cyber war1:41:59 The Senate testimony — how it came about1:44:42 Suits, a rented van, and the road trip to DC1:49:46 Reflecting on the testimony's real impact1:53:55 "Security is here, it's just unevenly distributed"1:54:27 The security boom and the road to At Stake2:00:12 The At Stake deal — "garage band or mega band?"2:05:24 Getting fired from At Stake — losing his identity2:13:13 The lost decade — depression and rebuilding2:15:24 Tan's call that changed everything — HNN goes video2:22:11 Writing the book — motivation, self-publishing, and healing2:27:40 Legacy and impact2:29:42 Closing
January 14, 2026
Episode 9: Rob Knake
Rob Knake's fingerprints are all over modern cyber policy. As White House Director for Cybersecurity Policy, he helped craft the nation’s most significant cybersecurity strategy in nearly two decades and guided the response to major national cyber incidents. He’s advised presidents, shaped global cyber norms, co-authored two influential books on cyber conflict, and served as a senior fellow at Harvard and the Council on Foreign Relations.Chapters:00:00 - Intro03:15 - Growing Up with New Deal Democrats06:30 - "To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Required."10:45 - Choosing Public Service Over Corporate Law14:20 - Education at Connecticut College18:30 - Democracy, Capitalism & Fukuyama's End of History22:10 - Coast Guard Internship & Steve Flynn's Influence27:45 - Richard Clarke & Early Cyber Policy Work32:20 - The Emergence of Cyber as a National Security Threat36:40 - From Good Harbor Consulting to Government Service40:15 - Working on Counterterrorism at DHS44:30 - The Bin Laden Raid Era & Shifting to Cyber48:20 - Joining the Obama White House NSC52:45 - Life as an NSC Staffer - Long Hours & Mission56:30 - Stuxnet & Understanding Real-World Cyber Threats01:00:15 - The Failed 2011 Cybersecurity Legislation01:04:40 - Executive Order 13636 & The NIST Framework01:09:20 - Operation Aurora & Chinese IP Theft01:13:45 - Nudges vs Shoves - Voluntary vs Mandatory Security01:18:30 - The Need for Cybersecurity Regulation01:22:50 - Who Should Regulate & How to Regulate01:27:10 - Software Liability & Outcome-Based Security01:32:25 - The SolarWinds/Sunburst Attack Explained01:37:40 - Private Equity's Impact on Cybersecurity01:41:15 - The Failure of Collective Defense01:45:30 - Government vs Private Sector Responsibility01:52:20 - Why Government Can't Take Over Cyber Defense01:58:45 - The Rise of Ransomware as a Threat02:03:30 - Should We Ban Ransomware Payments?02:08:15 - Corporate Hack-Back Operations02:11:40 - Holding Nation-States Accountable for Ransomware02:16:25 - Deterrence vs Resilience in Cyber Policy02:22:10 - Are We Winning in Cybersecurity?02:26:30 - AI's Impact on Cybersecurity02:29:45 - Trump Administration & Potential Regulatory Changes02:33:20 - The Public Sector Pay Gap Problem02:38:50 - Current Work in the Private Sector02:42:15 - Bridging the Hacker-Policy Divide02:45:30 - Closing Thoughts
October 7, 2025
Episode 8: Mohammed Bagha aka "MB"
Mohammed Bagha—who keeps his hacker handles anonymous and goes simply by ‘MB’—was one of the most feared hackers of the 1990s. With a larger-than-life online persona and the skills to back it up, he infiltrated corporate systems, telecom networks, and even the machines of other well-known hackers. He exposed their flaws, mocked their code, and dropped their secrets in public forums. But narrow misses with the law soon changed his path, and like many from that era, he turned his talents to defense—helping global companies strengthen their security and build lasting strategies.
12 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Where Warlocks Stay Up Late?
<div class="elementor-element elementor-element-23d98ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p>Where Warlocks Stay Up Late is an interview series dedicated to documenting the history of cybersecurity. Inspired by the seminal book “Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet”, this interview series aims to capture the stories, insights, and legacies of the pioneering figures who shaped the field of cybersecurity from its inception to the present day.</p> </div> </div> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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