I’m Mark Rogers, a Hacker and Chief Information Officer for Cloudflare, and This Is How I Work.
Mark Rogers has over 20 years of his career, of which he has been leading the security of the British operator Vodafone for 10 years. He worked as the director of information security for South Korea and co-founded the Bay Area disruptive startup. He has been hacking since the 80s and is now a white hat hacker as well as the chief security officer of Cloudflare. In his role as a technical advisor to Mr. Robot, ”he helped create hacks for the show. And as if that weren’t enough, he is also hosting the world’s largest hacking conference. We got in touch with Mark to find out how he works.
Location: San Francisco Ongoing Job: Cloudflare Chief Information Officer One word that best describes how you work: Relentless Current mobile device: iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy 6, Blackphone Current computer: Apple MBP (Late 2016)
First of all, tell us a little about your past and how you got where you are now.
I have been a prominent figure in the hacking scene since the 80s and organizer of DEF CON , the world’s largest hacking conference in 19 years. I am currently the head of security for DEF CON. As a result, more people know me as Chunks or Cyberjunks than as “Mark”.
My first hack, as you’d expect, was school when I was about 15 years old. Later, in the 90s, I co-founded an infamous British hacker group known as Agents of the Enemy Power. AoHPs were known as the pioneers of hacktivism and as the first “ethical black-hat hackers”.
Among my most notable accomplishments, I help create and appear on the award-winning BBC series True Hustle and, most recently, my job as a technical advisor on the American TV series Mr. Robot “. Today I am using hacking skills as a whitehat hacker. Some of my recent hacking attacks include Google Glass, Apple TouchID and perhaps the most famous of these, the Tesla Model S sports car.
What apps, software or tools can’t you live without?
Wherever I go, I carry network analysis tools and an electronic disassembly kit with me.
How is your workplace arranged?
Organized chaos. I have half-finished projects and half-disassembled electronics everywhere. In terms of hardware, as well as my MBP, I have a pair of 27 ” Ultra HD monitors and a few loaded Intel NUCs running Linux.
What’s your best time-saving shortcut or life hack?
Whenever you need a quick burst of free internet, look for a service that offers the option to download an app or browse the site. In most cases, this will give you a few minutes of free internet access. This works especially well on airplanes.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
What are some of the things you do best in everyday life? What’s your secret?
Postponement for later. Why do today what can be postponed until tomorrow?
What do you listen to while you work? Have a favorite playlist? Maybe we can talk on the radio? Or do you prefer silence?
I love the silence when I plan.
I love 70s punk when I hack.
I listen to the BBC while driving.
What are you reading now? Or what would you recommend?
Snowcrash – probably the 10th time.
How do you replenish? What do you do when you want to forget about work?
I am a hacker 🙂 Some of my best advice comes from relaxing at home.
What is your sleep pattern? Are you a night owl or get up early?
I have a hacker curse: insomnia. My brain never shuts down. There is always another site to browse, another gadget to play with.
Fill in the blank: I would like ___ to answer these same questions.
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What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t worry too much about what people think of you; instead, learn to love the person you see in the mirror.
Is there anything else you would like to add that might be of interest to the readers?
Just remember, no matter what a person does, a person can break. Everything can be hacked somehow.