Will US ban Chinese from hacker event?
Washington is considering using visa restrictions to prevent Chinese nationals from attending popular hacking conferences in Las Vegas as part of a broader effort to curb Chinese cyber espionage.
An official said that Washington could use such visa restrictions and other measures to keep Chinese from attending the August Def Con and Black Hat events to maintain pressure on China after the US charged five Chinese military officers with hacking into American companies to steal trade secrets. China has denied the charges, saying they were "made up."
Organisers of the two conferences said they knew nothing about any efforts under consideration by Washington, but that they believed limiting participation from China was a bad idea. Jeff Moss, founder of both Def Con and Black Hat, posted his thoughts on Twitter: "First I have heard of it, boarding flight to DC now. I don't think it helps build positive community." Chris Wysopal, a Black Hat review board member, said restricting access would have little impact. Hacking talks from both conferences are videotaped and sold on DVDs or posted on the web.
