Steve Gibson

IRL Name: 
Steve Maury Gibson
Biography: 

Steve Gibson is a computer programmer and a self-proclaimed security researcher who is the founder of Gibson Research Corporation, which is best known for its SpinRite software. Gibson has had a very long career in the technology field; his resume lists jobs he had held back to the age of 13. Coincidentally, his website was taken down with DDoS by a 13-year-old on May 4th, 2001. He began in hardware projects but moved more toward software development in the 1980s. One of his early successes during this period was a light pen graphics system for the Apple II.

In some professional security circles, he is not considered a reputable security professional, rather more of a snake oil salesman peddling third-rate software with bold claims. While many of his claims are a bit outlandish or bold, few, if any, are demonstrably false. He is also included in Atrrition.org's security charlatans.

Facts

He is an avid sci-fi fan, he has been known to be jokingly referred to as Steve Tiberius Gibson, an obvious poke at Star Trek's most famous captain of the Enterprise, James T(iberius) Kirk.

He has been associated with a number of other controversies, in the computer security field, including his prediction of the "XP Christmas of Death" in 2001 describing the outcomes of Microsoft's implementation of the SOCK_RAW protocol.

Involved with a notable controversy over the Windows Metafile vulnerability.

Pictures: 
References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Gibson_(computer_programmer)