HBGary Federal Forces Aaron Barr Out of DEFCON

Trailrunner7 writes "Former HBGary Federal CEO Aaron Barr says he will withdraw from a planned appearance at the DEFCON conference in the face of threatened legal action over his plans to take part in a panel discussion there. Barr notified DEFCON organizers on Wednesday that he was withdrawing from the Aug. 6 panel discussion after attorneys representing HBGary Federal threatened to file an injunction against him if he did not withdraw from the panel immediately. The incident is just the latest in a series of conflicts between Barr and HBGary Federal following attacks by the anarchic hacking group Anonymous on February 5."

Comments

If they're not operating illegally

[cosm]

...what do they have to hide? Whats good for the goose is good for the...oh fuck it. Who am I kidding. That ideology hasn't applied for years when in comes to revolving door deals between the Feds and Corps. vs. The People.

Re:If they're not operating illegally

[genner]

I'm still trying to figure out how anyone can stop a person from exercising their Freedom of Speech Rights? What's next, the U.S.S.R.'s version of the legality of Thought Crime, but applied to U.S. cititzens?

Your free to speak and they're free to sue.
USA! USA!

Re:If they're not operating illegally

[todrules]

Unless the attorneys at HBGary can see the future, they don't know what he is going to discuss. How do they know he'll be blabbing about trade secrets? Who knows, he could just go up on stage and start cracking jokes about nothing for the entire time, and that, he has every right to do.

Re:If they're not operating illegally

[postbigbang]

There are lots of theories of law that might prohibit him from speaking. Contracts with three-letter agencies might prohibi

Re:If they're not operating illegally

[hairyfeet]

Where have YOU been? Thought Crime is alive and well in the USA and has been for quite awhile. For a couple of examples just look at the guy sitting in prison for writing the "pro pedo" book, which while I disagree with the man's views arresting him for putting his thoughts on paper is a pretty text book definition of Thought crime. Then there was the guy arrested for doing as his therapist told him to and writing his fantasies down in a journal, and then there was the Russian afraid to come here because he dared to write about encryption covered by the DMCA.

So you see Thought Crime is alive and well here in the USA. How sad is it that we went from "I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it" to actually throwing people in jail over words on a page.

Re:Aaron Barr lives another day...

[jojoba_oil]

I can only imagine what would happen if he were to get up on stage and start speaking about security practices..

That's just the thing. Security isn't his specialty, or the specialty of most of the "security" industry. They deal in exploits and writing trojans.

Think of them like you think of the US Department of Defense. Again, dealing with the complete opposite of what the name implies.

Parade 'Em Out

[eldavojohn]

Announcer 1: "I'd like to welcome all our viewers to this auspicious event ..."
Announcer 2: "That's right, Tom, as the attendees roll up we're likely to see some--oh wait, who's that getting out of that limo as we speak?"
Announcer 1: "I believe that's former CEO of Diebold Walden O'Dell."
Announcer 2: "Yes, yes it is, that's certainly a 2004 Bush/Haliburten logo on the side of his limo!"
Announcer 1: "A good start to the evening but who is this chauffeuring himself around?"
Announcer 2: "Well, the person handing his keys to the valet right now is none other than Darl McBride!"
Announcer 1: "You know, you wouldn't believe it but these people -- these infamous people sound so large in print and yet they look and act just like regular people. No fake smiles here."
Announcer 2: "You know, McBride has fallen on some hard times but rest assured that he will be back to his full potential at some point in his career."
Announcer 1: "I do not believe it. Is that Jack Thompson right behind McBride?"
Announcer 2: "Well, somebody take a picture, I don't think these two titans have ever even been seen together."
Announcer 1: "I will never forget Jack Thompson's disbarment from practicing law in Florida. Clearly, there walks a man willing to sacrifice it all."
Announcer 2: "And, oh, look at this newcomer. Some say he will walk away with the golden trucker hat tonight, Tom. It is none other than Aaron Barr."
Announcer 1: "The man that exemplified being a dbag to such a degree, he was not afraid to literally rip the constitution out of its display case and wipe his ass with it publicly. Words cannot describe the feeling of awe I am experiencing right now."
Announcer 2: "His swagger, his grease-backed hair, his beady eyes, the way they shift back and fourth. I'm trying hard to describe this prima donna but I am failing. No other person in my life has caused me to want to turn and lay tracks anymore than this magnificent dbag."
Announcer 1: "Well, that means a lot, you hosted the Serial Murderer Awards two years ago, right?"
Announcer 2: "That's right, the 2009 Stabbies."
Announcer 1: "Well, this is just going to be one amazing night with Aaron Barr vying for 2011 dbag of the year."

Was it wise ?

[unity100]

HBGary morons threatened a panelist out of a defcon conference.

as much as i came to learn the hackers from these events, such an act in hacker language has the meaning of 'come fuck me'.

these idiots will never learn.