Christopher Tarnovsky
{{Short description|Computer security expert (born 1971)}}
Christopher Tarnovsky (born 20 April 1971, Nyack, New York) is an integrated circuit (IC) reverse engineer and hacker.Chenoweth N. [https://books.google.com/books?id=v_btAAAAMAAJ&q=Christopher+Tarnovsky Rupert Murdoch: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Media Wizard.] Crown Business 12 November 2002. p. 353. {{ISBN|978-0609610381}}.
Career
In the 1990s, Tarnovsky was a soldier in the United States army in the field of intelligence, security and cryptography. From 1997 to 2007, Tarnovsky worked for NDS developing copy protection technology.Everett D. [http://www.smartcard.co.uk/articles/Whatthesiliconmanufacturerhasputtogetherletnomanputasunder.php What the silicon manufacturer has put together let no man put asunder.] Smartcard.co.uk March 2010. Accessed 29 September 2015. He then started his own company, Flylogic, which he sold to IOActive in 2012.{{Cite web|first=Christopher|last=Tarnovsky|date=2019-06-14|title=Sophisticated million dollar hack to discover weaknesses in a series of smartcards affecting millions|url=https://media.hardwear.io/sophisticated-million-dollar-hack-to-discover-weaknesses-in-a-series-of-smartcards-affecting-millions-christopher-tarnovsky/|access-date=2020-10-16|website=Hardwear.io|language=en-GB}} Until 2014 Tarnovsky was vice president of semiconductor services at IOActive.Talbot D. [http://www.technologyreview.com/news/519201/tamper-proof-chips-with-some-work-might-give-up-their-secrets/ “Tamper-Proof” Chips, with Some Work, Might Give Up Their Secrets.] MIT Technology Review 11 September 2013. Accessed 30 September 2015. Tarnovsky has a diagnosis of ADHD, which gives him the ability to "hyper-focus" on projects for hours at a time.
In 2001, DirecTV, a client of NDS, a company majority owned by Rupert Murdoch's Newscorp, demanded Tarnovsky be kept away from their systems. Plaintiffs DirecTV, Dish Network and Nagrastar alleged Tarnovsky was hacking the protections they placed on their set-top box smart cards which were used to lock transmission from customers who defaulted.Chenoweth N. [http://afr.com/p/national/cash_in_news_budget_for_police_informants_3cXq07JsdSNAfZgQp4sWVO Cash in News budget for police informants.] The Australian Financial Review. 4 April 2012. Accessed 26 April 2012.Gardner E. [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/rupert-murdochs-1-billion-hacking-212492 Rupert Murdoch's $1 Billion Hacking Scandal You Haven't Heard About.] Hollywood Reporter. 18 July 2011. Accessed 29 September 2015.
In 2002, Canal Plus, a French premium cable television commenced a civil action against NDS and Tarnovsky. Tarnovsky was alleged to have extracted the source code of a SECA card and then on 26 March 1999 uploaded it to a file sharing website.Chenoweth N. [http://afr.com/p/business/marketing_media/murdoch_inside_job_sZrtO3tNzsy2TD1Z3TpNvJ Murdoch's inside job.] The Australian Financial Review. 31 March 2012. Accessed 26 April 2012. A jury later largely cleared NDS and Tarnovsky.Zetter K. [http://archive.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/05/tarnovsky?currentPage=all From the Eye of a Legal Storm, Murdoch's Satellite-TV Hacker Tells All.] Wired.com San Diego. 30 May 2008. Accessed 30 September 2015.[https://www.theguardian.com/business/2003/may/02/5 Vivendi settles row with NDS.] The Guardian 2 May 2003. Accessed 26 April 2012.
In 2007, Tarnovsky was dismissed from NDS for copyright infringement while in their employ. Tarnovsky denies this accusation.
In 2008, Tarnovsky hacked a Trusted Platform Module, a type of chip used in the Xbox 360 for example, after nine months of study.Van Tilborg H. (ed.) [https://books.google.com/books?id=UGyUUK9LUhUC&dq=Christopher+Tarnovsky&pg=PT7633 Christopher Tarnovsky.] Encyclopedia of Cryptography and Security, Springer, 10 August 2005. {{ISBN|978-0387234731}} Accessed 26 April 2012.
In 2010, at a Black Hat Washington DC conference, Tarnovsky described how he had used acid, an electron microscope and small conductive needles to hack the Infineon SLE66 CL PE chip.Stevens T. [https://www.engadget.com/2010/02/12/christopher-tarnovsky-hacks-infineons-unhackable-chip-we-pre/ Christopher Tarnovsky hacks Infineon's 'unhackable' chip, we prepare for false-advertising litigation.] Engadget.com 12 February 2010.
References
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External links
- [http://www.flylogic.net/ Tarnovsky’s official website]
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Category:People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder