Ryan Lackey
Encyclopedia
Ryan Donald Lackey is an entrepreneur
and computer security
professional. He was a co-founder of HavenCo
, the world's first data haven
. He also speaks at numerous conferences and trade shows, including DEF CON
, RSA Data Security Conference, on various topics in the computer security field, and has appeared on the cover of Wired Magazine, in numerous television, radio, and print articles on HavenCo
and Sealand
. Lackey operates Blue Iraq, a communications and IT company serving the DoD
and Iraq
i domestic market in Iraq
.
Lackey was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania
and has also lived throughout the US and Europe, Anguilla
, Sealand, Dubai, and Iraq. As a teenager, he was briefly involved with the Globewide Network Academy. While a student at MIT
(he later dropped out) Lackey became interested in electronic cash
and distributed systems, originally for massively multiplayer online gaming. This interest led to attending several conferences (Financial Cryptography 98, various MIT presentations), participating on mailing lists such as "cypherpunk
s" and "dbs", and eventually implementing patented Chaumian
digital cash in an underground library, HINDE, with Ian Goldberg
, named after Hinde ten Berge, a Dutch cypherpunk also present at FC98.
In 1999 Lackey lived in the San Francisco Bay Area after a period in Anguilla
before moving to the unrecognized state of Sealand
off the coast of the United Kingdom
and establishing HavenCo
. In December 2002, he left HavenCo following a dispute with other company directors and the Sealand "Royal Family".
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and computer security
Computer security
Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as information security as applied to computers and networks. The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while allowing the information and property to...
professional. He was a co-founder of HavenCo
HavenCo
HavenCo Limited was a data haven, data hosting services company, founded in 2000 which operated from Sealand, self-declared 'sovereign principality' that occupies a man-made former World War II defensive facility originally known as Roughs Tower located approximately six miles from the coast of...
, the world's first data haven
Data haven
A data haven, like a corporate haven or tax haven, is a refuge for uninterrupted or unregulated data. Data havens are locations with legal environments that are friendly to the concept of a computer network freely holding data and even protecting its content and associated information...
. He also speaks at numerous conferences and trade shows, including DEF CON
DEF CON
DEF CON is one of the world's largest annual computer hacker conventions, held every year in Las Vegas, Nevada...
, RSA Data Security Conference, on various topics in the computer security field, and has appeared on the cover of Wired Magazine, in numerous television, radio, and print articles on HavenCo
HavenCo
HavenCo Limited was a data haven, data hosting services company, founded in 2000 which operated from Sealand, self-declared 'sovereign principality' that occupies a man-made former World War II defensive facility originally known as Roughs Tower located approximately six miles from the coast of...
and Sealand
Principality of Sealand
The Principality of Sealand is an unrecognized entity, located on HM Fort Roughs, a former World War II Maunsell Sea Fort in the North Sea 10 km off the coast of Suffolk, England, United Kingdom ....
. Lackey operates Blue Iraq, a communications and IT company serving the DoD
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i domestic market in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Lackey was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
and has also lived throughout the US and Europe, Anguilla
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
, Sealand, Dubai, and Iraq. As a teenager, he was briefly involved with the Globewide Network Academy. While a student at MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(he later dropped out) Lackey became interested in electronic cash
Electronic cash
Electronic cash is the debit card system of the German Central Credit Committee, the association which represents the top German financial interest groups. Usually paired with a checking account, cards with an Electronic Cash logo are only handed out by proper credit institutions...
and distributed systems, originally for massively multiplayer online gaming. This interest led to attending several conferences (Financial Cryptography 98, various MIT presentations), participating on mailing lists such as "cypherpunk
Cypherpunk
A cypherpunk is an activist advocating widespread use of strong cryptography as a route to social and political change.Originally communicating through the Cypherpunks electronic mailing list, informal groups aimed to achieve privacy and security through proactive use of cryptography...
s" and "dbs", and eventually implementing patented Chaumian
David Chaum
David Chaum is the inventor of many cryptographic protocols, including blind signature schemes, commitment schemes, and digital cash. In 1982, Chaum founded the International Association for Cryptologic Research , which currently organizes academic conferences in cryptography research...
digital cash in an underground library, HINDE, with Ian Goldberg
Ian Goldberg
Ian Avrum Goldberg is a cryptographer and cypherpunk. He is best known for breaking Netscape's implementation of SSL , and for his role as Chief Scientist of Radialpoint , a Canadian software company...
, named after Hinde ten Berge, a Dutch cypherpunk also present at FC98.
In 1999 Lackey lived in the San Francisco Bay Area after a period in Anguilla
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
before moving to the unrecognized state of Sealand
Sealand
The Principality of Sealand is an unrecognized entity, located on HM Fort Roughs, a former World War II Maunsell Sea Fort in the North Sea 10 km off the coast of Suffolk, England, United Kingdom ....
off the coast of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and establishing HavenCo
HavenCo
HavenCo Limited was a data haven, data hosting services company, founded in 2000 which operated from Sealand, self-declared 'sovereign principality' that occupies a man-made former World War II defensive facility originally known as Roughs Tower located approximately six miles from the coast of...
. In December 2002, he left HavenCo following a dispute with other company directors and the Sealand "Royal Family".
See also
- ecashEcashUsing cryptography, ecash was introduced by David Chaum as an anonymous electronic cash system. He used blind signatures to achieve unlinkability between withdrawal and spend transactions. Depending on the properties of the payment transactions, one distinguishes between on-line and off-line...
- HavenCoHavenCoHavenCo Limited was a data haven, data hosting services company, founded in 2000 which operated from Sealand, self-declared 'sovereign principality' that occupies a man-made former World War II defensive facility originally known as Roughs Tower located approximately six miles from the coast of...
- Satellite Internet accessSatellite Internet accessSatellite Internet access is Internet access provided through satellites. The service can be provided to users world-wide through low Earth orbit satellites. Geostationary satellites can offer higher data speeds, but their signals can not reach some polar regions of the world...
- Information securityInformation securityInformation security means protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, perusal, inspection, recording or destruction....
- Iraq War
- SealandPrincipality of SealandThe Principality of Sealand is an unrecognized entity, located on HM Fort Roughs, a former World War II Maunsell Sea Fort in the North Sea 10 km off the coast of Suffolk, England, United Kingdom ....
External links
- HavenCo
- Ryan Lackey's personal site
- Answers From Sealand: CTO Ryan Lackey Responds July 3, 2000
- Welcome to Sealand. Now Bugger Off July 2000
- Avi Freedman and Ryan Lackey gave a talk about HavenCo at H2K2 July 13, 2002
- DefCon 11 Talk about HavenCo August 3, 2003
- Has 'haven' for questionable sites sunk? August 4, 2003.
- Wiring the War Zone: Blue Iraq September 2005
- Blood, Bullets, Bombs, and Bandwidth 2005