Twitter whistleblower: Who is Peiter ‘Mudge’ Zatko, ace hacker turned security expert who once worked for the Pentagon?

Twitter is confronted with major allegations after its former security head Peiter Zatko turned whistleblower against the company. Zatko’s disclosure to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleges that Twitter, the top micro-blogging platform with tremendous influence, has "major security problems that pose a threat to its own users` personal information, to company shareholders, to national security, and to democracy". He has also made alarming claims about Twitter having misled the government over its security vulnerabilities.  

Twitter, led by Indian-origin CEO Parag Agrawal, has trashed the allegations and called Zatko a disgruntled employee. The company has said that the "allegations and opportunistic timing appear designed” and that Zatko was fired for "ineffective leadership and poor performance". However, Zatko is not just another employee but a well known and longtime cybersecurity industry ace with several exploits to his name. Here’s all you need to know about Twitter’s former security chief and now whistleblower.

Who is Peiter Zatko?

Better known as Mudge, Zatko is a highly respected person in the field of cybersecurity. One who became prominent as one of the first hackers to have an open channel with the government. 

Gaining prominence first in the 1990s, Zatko has collaborated with the government and went on to work for the Pentagon agency Defense Advanced Research Agency. He has also held senior positions at Google as well as prominent payment service Stripe. 

A public figure in the field of cybersecurity for over 20 years, Zatko first came to limelight as one of seven young hackers who warned the US Senate about the dangers of early internet back in 1998. 

Today is the anniversary of the testimony I and other members of the l0pht gave to the US Senate in 1998.

It was the first time the US Govt. publicly referenced “hackers” in a positive context.

The coverage was national and even international.

Come behind the scenes.

/Thread pic.twitter.com/S2kZA8g8vd

— Mudge (@dotMudge) May 20, 2019

He was a member of an early hacker group called L0pht Heavy Industries. 

In 2020, when Twitter faced an alleged embarrassing hacking by a group of teenage hackers, like Zatko had once been, founder and then CEO Jack Dorsey roped him in to sort out the company’s security. Several high-profile Twitter accounts including that of then-presidential candidate Joe Biden and tech mogul Elon Musk were compromised in that attack.

In January 2022, Twitter, now under CEO Parag Agrawal, fired Zatko for “ineffective leadership and performance”.

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