MacBook WiFi hacker cancels talk

Instead of a planned presentation WiFi hacker Johnny Ellch delivered only a prepared statement at ToorCon, San Diego's annual security conference on Saturday.

I reported last week that Maynor and Ellch were scheduled to speak at ToorCon, where the inflammatory duo's "complete story" of their infamous MacBook WiFi hack was to be told. The talk was supposed to "offer analysis and commentary of public responses while at the same time giving anyone who has a question a chance to have it answered" according to the hyperbole on the conference Web site.

Boing Boing reports that "at the eleventh hour, the talk was canceled due to pressure from Maynor's employer, SecureWorks, apparently at the behest of Apple." The scathing text of Ellch's remarks are on Boing Boing.

Fellow ZDNet blogger George Ou is all over the story and has posted SecureWorks statement regarding the presentation:

SecureWorks and Apple are working together in conjunction with the CERT Coordination Center on any reported security issues. We will not make any additional public statements regarding work underway until both companies agree, along with CERT/CC, that it is appropriate.

 The plot thickens.