Twitter Whistleblower ‘Mudge’ Joins Cybersecurity Firm Rapid7

(Bloomberg) — Peiter Zatko, the prominent computer security expert who blew the whistle last year on alleged security problems at Twitter Inc., is joining the cybersecurity firm Rapid7 Inc., the company said Wednesday.

Zatko, known more commonly by his hacker-era name “Mudge,” will advise Rapid7’s executive team and customers in a part-time role, a spokesperson said. He will report directly to Boston-based Rapid7’s chief executive officer, Corey Thomas, who called Zatko’s extensive experience “invaluable.”

Zatko’s allegations of widespread security shortcomings at Twitter spurred bipartisan criticism from US lawmakers last year, culminating in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September. Zatko told lawmakers that Twitter suffered from outdated software, broad employee access to personal user data and a reactive security policy that had engineers running “from fire to fire.” He also submitted complaints to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission.

In 2020 Zatko was hired by Twitter’s then-CEO, Jack Dorsey, to lead the social network’s security team — but was fired less than two years later. His security complaints came during Elon Musk’s high-profile takeover battle with the social media company. Zatko’s new role was reported earlier by the Washington Post.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com