DC865 Feb Talk - A Dark Matter

This talk examines the DarkMatter incident as it has been documented through open-source reporting: the rise of a UAE-based cybersecurity firm, the global race to build sovereign cyber capability, and the subsequent revelations about offensive cyber operations that blurred the line between defense, intelligence, and private enterprise.

Public reporting has focused on what was visible from the outside - journalistic investigations, legal actions, and the policy questions that followed. What it has not captured is how these events looked and felt from within: how decisions were made in real time, how intent evolved under pressure, and how individuals navigated an environment where governance lagged far behind capability.

In this presentation, we will briefly ground the audience in the publicly reported facts of the DarkMatter incident, then move beyond them. Drawing on first-hand experience, the talk presents a never-before-told perspective on the people, tradeoffs, and dynamics that shaped what ultimately became a global cautionary tale.

DC865 is happy to announce we're back at the KEC (Knoxville Entrepreneur Center)! This new location will provide us with a consistent meeting space each month and greater flexibility with later presentation times. The KEC is located at 17 Market Square, Suite 101, next door to Not Watson's.

Without corporate sponsorship food/drinks may be limited. DC865 will at least have the drinks covered.

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