Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Our September 2024 hack::soho featured a talk from Pete Beck, IOActive Director of Services, discussing 'Lessons from the Demo Scene.' You can find the abstract below!
hack::soho is a monthly event hosted at our London, UK office for the cybersecurity and hacking community to discuss all things security over food and refreshments. We welcome you to invite others in your circle to extend our collective network.
ABSTRACT:
The demo scene emerged in the late 1980s as coders tried to push hardware to its limits to create ever more impressive effects, often breaking fundamental assumptions on what was possible. The skills and mindset required are remarkably similar to those of good security consultants and researchers. The talk will give a brief history of the Demo Scene, and discuss specific areas where security professionals can learn from Demo Scene coders. It’s also a great excuse to reminisce about retro systems and some groundbreaking demos.
Pete Beck, IOActive Direct of Services:
Pete Beck is a Director of Services at IOActive’s Cheltenham office, helping IOActive's clients to assess and improve their security posture by identifying security-critical assets and designing effective test plans. His prior experience includes working in Information Security for the UK Government, Product Security for both Microsoft and BlackBerry, and Consultancy for banks, software houses, online retailers and developers of consumer electronics.
He still owns three computers from the 1980s, and has been a fan of the demo scene since software was distributed on floppy disks from mail order companies. His best job ever was as a professional Lego builder.
Learn more by visiting our website: ioactive.com
Our September 2024 hack::soho featured a talk from Pete Beck, IOActive Director of Services, discussing 'Lessons from the Demo Scene.' You can find the abstract below!
hack::soho is a monthly event hosted at our London, UK office for the cybersecurity and hacking community to discuss all things security over food and refreshments. We welcome you to invite others in your circle to extend our collective network.
ABSTRACT:
The demo scene emerged in the late 1980s as coders tried to push hardware to its limits to create ever more impressive effects, often breaking fundamental assumptions on what was possible. The skills and mindset required are remarkably similar to those of good security consultants and researchers. The talk will give a brief history of the Demo Scene, and discuss specific areas where security professionals can learn from Demo Scene coders. It’s also a great excuse to reminisce about retro systems and some groundbreaking demos.
Pete Beck, IOActive Direct of Services:
Pete Beck is a Director of Services at IOActive’s Cheltenham office, helping IOActive's clients to assess and improve their security posture by identifying security-critical assets and designing effective test plans. His prior experience includes working in Information Security for the UK Government, Product Security for both Microsoft and BlackBerry, and Consultancy for banks, software houses, online retailers and developers of consumer electronics.
He still owns three computers from the 1980s, and has been a fan of the demo scene since software was distributed on floppy disks from mail order companies. His best job ever was as a professional Lego builder.
Learn more by visiting our website: ioactive.com
