Robert Willis (hacker)
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Short description|Ethical hacker and publisher of comics}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Robert Willis
| image = File:Willis-robert-hacker (cropped) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Willis in 2015
| other_names = rej_ex
| nationality = American
| known_for = Hacking, comic books
| awards =
}}
Robert Willis, also known as rej_ex, is an American hacker and comic book writer. He is known for his work with the Sakura Samurai white-hat hacking group, and his contributions to the Wiley Tribe of Hackers book series. In 2015, he helped build a platform and strategy for news syndication for his client Natural News, a fake news website. The site was ultimately used to promote the candidacy of Donald Trump against Hillary Clinton across hundreds of sister websites; the pieces would reach over 30 million people a week prior to the 2016 election.{{Cite book |last=Payton |first=Theresa |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1112375124 |title=Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-5381-3350-7 |location=Lanham, MD |oclc=1112375124}}
Early life
Willis was born in Stamford, Connecticut and raised by his mother and her family, who had immigrated to the United States from Italy.
Willis became interested in computers at a young age, and began working online with hacker groups. He later identified the movies Hackers and The Matrix as contributors to his interest in hacking.{{Cite web |date=October 1, 2020 |title=Privacy in Action: Robert Willis, Hacker & Author |url=https://www.startpage.com/privacy-please/uncategorized/privacy-in-action-robert-willis-hacker-author |access-date=September 11, 2021 |website=Startpage}}
Career
= Hacking =
Willis has worked in offensive security and red teaming for the military,{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=John |date=January 22, 2021 |title=Episode 200: Sakura Samurai Wants To Make Hacking Groups Cool Again. And: Automating Our Way Out of PKI Chaos |url=https://securityledger.com/2021/01/episode-200-sakura-samurai-wants-to-make-hacking-groups-cool-again-and-automating-our-way-out-of-pki-chaos/ |access-date=September 26, 2021 |website=The Security Ledger with Paul F. Roberts |language=en-US}} later receiving a Texas Medal of Merit for his cybersecurity work.{{Cite magazine |last=Kennon |first=AnnMarie |date=January 31, 2020 |title=Ask an Expert: Hackers |url=http://www.georgetownview.com/ask-and-expert-hackers/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911223536/http://www.georgetownview.com/ask-and-expert-hackers/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 11, 2021 |access-date=September 11, 2021 |magazine=Georgetown View |publication-place=Georgetown, Texas |language=en-US}}{{Verify source |date=February 2024}} He was also employed for a time at Threatcare, a cyberattack simulation company.{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=Usman |date=July 13, 2021 |title=Discussing Cybersecurity, and Part & Parcel of Ethical Hacking with Robert Willis |url=https://www.purevpn.com/blog/cybersecurity-expert-interview-robert-willis/ |access-date=September 11, 2021 |website=PureVPN |language=en-US}} As of 2020, Willis was a managing member of 1337, Inc., a defensive cybersecurity company based in Austin, Texas. He is also a member of the Sakura Samurai hacking group. Through his work with Sakura Samurai, Willis has been involved in discovering security issues affecting Indian governmental groups,{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Ax |date=March 12, 2021 |title=Researchers hacked Indian govt sites via exposed git and env files |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/researchers-hacked-indian-govt-sites-via-exposed-git-and-env-files/ |access-date=September 11, 2021 |website=BleepingComputer |language=en}} the Fermilab particle physics laboratory,{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Ax |date=May 6, 2021 |title=US physics lab Fermilab exposes proprietary data for all to see |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/researchers-peek-into-proprietary-data-of-us-particle-physics-lab-fermilab/ |access-date=September 11, 2021 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}} Ford,{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Ax |date=January 15, 2021 |title=Undisclosed Apache Velocity XSS vulnerability impacts GOV sites |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/undisclosed-apache-velocity-xss-vulnerability-impacts-gov-sites/ |access-date=September 11, 2021 |website=BleepingComputer |language=en-us}} and John Deere.{{Cite web |last=Bracken |first=Becky |date=August 10, 2021 |title=Connected Farms Easy Pickings for Global Food Supply-Chain Hack |url=https://threatpost.com/connected-farms-food-supply-chain-hack/168547/ |access-date=September 26, 2021 |website=ThreatPost |language=en}}
=Misinformation=
In October 2021, Willis revealed in an Ars Technica profile that he was "Hacker X", a previously anonymous individual described by Theresa Payton in her 2020 book, Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth. Willis described how he had helped build a disinformation network and run a massive fake news operation for Natural News, a website known for anti-vax conspiracies and for promoting then presidential candidate Donald J. Trump.{{cite web |title=Disinformation guru 'Hacker X' names his employer: NaturalNews.com |last=Anderson |first=Nate |date=October 18, 2021 |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/10/disinformation-guru-hacker-x-names-his-employer-naturalnews-com/ |work=Ars Technica |access-date=February 5, 2023}} From 2015–2017, Willis and Natural News helped promote the candidacy of Donald Trump, spread hoaxes, and published political propaganda.{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Ax |date=October 14, 2021 |title="Hacker X"—the American who built a pro-Trump fake news empire—unmasks himself |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/10/hacker-x-the-american-who-built-a-pro-trump-fake-news-empire-unmasks-himself/ |access-date=October 15, 2021 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}
= Comic books =
Willis’s first comic series was called Paraneon, which included three titles: The Hive Network, Neon Skyline, and Portals. The books were originally launched as a Kickstarter, eventually raising over 300% of the original funding goal.{{Cite web |last=Coble |first=Sarah |date=November 12, 2020 |title=Ethical Hacker's Comic Dream Gets Backing |url=https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ethical-hackers-comic-dream-gets/ |access-date=September 11, 2021 |website=Infosecurity Magazine}} In 2021, Willis obtained the trademark for Gold Key Comics.{{Cite web |last=USPTO |title=GOLD KEY - Willis, Robert Trademark Registration |url=https://uspto.report/TM/90218909 |access-date=September 11, 2021 |website=United States Patent and Trademark Office |language=en}}
Political activism
Willis was an activist in the Connecticut Tea Party movement starting in 2009,{{Cite web |last=Koch |first=Robert |date=August 4, 2010 |title=Tea Party back in Norwalk for primary |url=https://www.thehour.com/norwalk/article/Tea-Party-back-in-Norwalk-for-primary-8297518.php |access-date=October 15, 2021 |website=The Hour |language=en-US}} and acted as the head of its 4th Congressional district campaign. He caused a rift internally after threatening to vote Republicans out of office.{{Cite web |last=Gaylord |first=Joan |date=May 21, 2010 |title=Republicans Invite Tea Party Activity |url=https://dailyvoice.com/connecticut/norwalk/news/republicans-invite-tea-party-activity/392314/ |access-date=October 15, 2021 |website=Norwalk Daily Voice |language=en-US}}{{cite web |last1=Willis |first1=Robert |title=Statement: 10/18/21 |url=https://robertwillishacking.com/statement-10-18-21/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018080939/https://robertwillishacking.com/statement-10-18-21/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 18, 2021 |access-date=October 18, 2021}} Willis received the nomination from the Republican Party for State Representative in the 105th District of Connecticut in 2014.{{Cite web |last=mycitizensnews |date=2014-10-08 |title=GOP endorses Willis in 105th |url=https://www.mycitizensnews.com/news/gop-endorses-willis-in-105th/ |access-date=2021-10-15 |website=Citizen's News |language=en-US}}
In 2021, Willis told Ars Technica that he identifies as socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
Bibliography
= Cybersecurity =
- Contributing writer in: {{cite book |last1=Carey |first1=Marcus J. |last2=Jin |first2=Jennifer |title=Tribe of Hackers: Cybersecurity Advice from the Best Hackers in the World |date=2019 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-119-64338-8 |doi=10.1002/9781119643395}}
- Contributing writer in: {{cite book |last1=Carey |first1=Marcus J. |last2=Jin |first2=Jennifer |title=Tribe of Hackers Red Team: Tribal Knowledge from the Best in Offensive Cybersecurity |date=2019 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-119-64333-3 |doi=10.1002/9781119643357}}
- Contributing writer in: {{cite book |last1=Carey |first1=Marcus J. |last2=Jin |first2=Jennifer |title=Tribe of Hackers Blue Team: Tribal Knowledge from the Best in Defensive Cybersecurity |date=2020 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-119-64342-5 |doi=10.1002/9781119643432}}
- "Foreword". in {{Cite book |last=Jackson |first=John |title=Corporate Cybersecurity: Identifying Risks and the Bug Bounty Program |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |date=2021 |isbn=978-1-1197-8252-0 |author-link=John Jackson (hacker) |doi=10.1002/9781119782568}}
= Comics =
- Neon Skyline (writer, letterer, artist, March 2021){{Cite web |last=Tabu |first=Hannibal |date=November 6, 2020 |title=Cyberpunk Comes To Life In Comics From Hacker Robert Willis' Paraneon |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/cyberpunk-comes-to-life-in-comics-from-hacker-robert-willis-paraneon/ |access-date=October 15, 2021 |website=Bleeding Cool |language=en}}
- The Hive Network (writer, colorist, letterer, artist, March 2021)
- Portals (writer, March 2021)
- Initiating ...Paraneon (writer, colorist, letterer, April 2021)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Robert}}
Category:People associated with the 2016 United States presidential election
Category:21st-century American male writers
Category:21st-century American writers
Category:American comics artists
Category:American comics writers
Category:Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign