Johnny Long - From Google Hacker to Aid Worker
Johnny Long used to be known for Google hacking: finding vulnerable servers on the internet by using specific search terms. Now, he's helping humanitarian groups, street kids and police in Uganda learn how to use computers and keep malicious hackers out of their systems, as well as matching other information security professionals to charities that need help.
Long, who started the Hackers for Charity non-profit organisation in 2008, launched a new program at the DefCon hacker conference over the weekend that he's calling InfoSec without Borders and which is modelled after the Doctors Without Borders program.
"The volunteers are professionals in the industry now, and they have a corporate responsibility", and want to help communities in need, he said. "We want to help guide that by feeding in charities that we screen." Long's non-profit provides free computer training to anyone who wants it, fixes computers, provides technical support to nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and has fed thousands of families through its "food for work" program.
