Phiber Optik
[related: @Cafe]
An American hacker, cryptographer, and infosec expert, formerly a member of the legendary hacker group(s) Legion of Doom/Masters of Deception and core member of the MindVox launch team. Optik first came into contact with computers around the age of nine at a local department store frequented by his parents (both clinical shopaholics). Shortly thereafter, he came into possession of a TRS-80 MC-10 with 4k of RAM and a 32 column CAPSLOCK interface which he hooked up to a television set and portable tape recorder for program storage and activation. A self-proclaimed autodidact, Optik quickly learned to implement and advance cutting edge programming techniques learned via manuals stolen from his local library, establishing himself as a bright young star of a burgeoning hacking community. From 1990-1992, Optik faced a myriad of legal issues stemming from his alleged role in the Ma Bell Global Server Network Crash in 1990 [1]. Widespread surveillance and subsequent evidence planting culminated in Optik's service of a one-year sentence in federal prison in South Philadelphia. Upon release, he was hailed as the "Robin Hood of Cyberspace" and frequently held court at the @Cafe [2], New York's first dedicated internet cafe. Optik is now rumored to reside in Silicon Valley, working under the alias Mark Abene as a consultant for various tech-security firms.
- ↑ Although Ma Bell later admitted the crash was entirely the result of a flawed internal update, Optik and other LoD/MoD members were never cleared of involvement.
- ↑ Despite extensive media coverage, general public renown, and dirt cheap rent in New York's Alphabet City, @Cafe was a financial failure, operating at a significant loss throughout its life due in large part to its dedicated T1 line, reportedly costing over $10,000/month.