
Elite Hacker Barnaby Jack 'overdosed on drugs' - braveheart1723
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25598791
======
girvo
Heroin, coke, and alcohol. Quickest way to overdose, even if it is fun... RIP
mate, we'll miss you.

My worst OD was with that mixture as well, only I was lucky enough to have
people with me and live in a country where calling the emergency services
doesn't end with police at your door for overdoses. Narcan in the back of the
ambulance brought me back. I got clean a month later, and am still clean 20
months later.

Some of my friends weren't so lucky, and neither was Jack, the poor bastard.
He did awesome work. Mudge had an awesome talk at Defcon where he told a story
about Jack in Dubai, go have a listen, it's well worth it.

Drug abuse (opiates in particular) is more common in our field than we think,
I believe.

~~~
nate_meurer
_Legal_ opiates are now the biggest killer of addicts, according to at least
one new study:

[http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/vicodin-oxycontin-drug-deaths-
vos-l...](http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/vicodin-oxycontin-drug-deaths-vos-
lancet-502721)

~~~
spikels
I think the fact the use and abuse of legal opiates are much more common
(abuse is estimated an 10% of US population each year) than heroin (use is
estimate at only 1.6% of US population even once during their entire lifetime)
explains this.

Heroin is made much more dangerous because it is illegal and therefore of
unknown potency and purity.

------
tacoman
I didn't know him, but was familiar with his work and this obviously is all
very sad.

Infosec is a very strange slice of the tech industry/IT. I've been a
generalist sysadmin for more than 25 years so I have broad exposure to most of
the specialties in the industry. What strikes me about infosec is how the cult
of celebrity is very prominent. Maybe it's just where my interests lie, but I
can name a dozen high profile "hackers" or infosec researchers. If you ask me
to name the names of linux kernel hackers or nginx hackers or whatever and I'd
struggle.

Also, it seems like every week there is a security conference somewhere in the
world. I guess maybe it's sexy or flashy but the security industry seems to
have proportionally way more extrovert-type people in it.

------
danso
He died in July but the autopsy has only just been made available? Or did the
news of his death just fall off the radar so much that no one checked the
coroner's office earlier? (coroner reports in newsworthy cases are generally
public record)

For reference sake, Paul Walker, the star of "Fast and Furious", had his
autopsy reported on today but he died on Nov. 30 (roughly 35 days)
[http://www.tmz.com/2014/01/03/paul-walker-autopsy-report-
rog...](http://www.tmz.com/2014/01/03/paul-walker-autopsy-report-roger-rodas-
death/)

Michael Hastings, the Rolling Stone reporter who also died in a car accident,
died in mid-June and his autopsy report was made available in mid-August:
[http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/21/michael-
hasting...](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/21/michael-hastings-
buzzfeed-autopsy-drugs)

Both of those deaths may have been more in the news than Barnaby Jack's, but
they also involved fiery car crashes. It's possible that Barnaby Jack's death
was just forgotten about, which is not unheard of (how many people not related
to you can you recall the date of their deaths, a month later?). I guess you
can assume that news orgs don't follow up as quickly on non-celebrities, and
that tech advocates don't do as much public records requesting.

~~~
dpifke
The SF Medical Examiner is particularly slow, per a recent article in the
Chronicle: [http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-medical-
examiner-l...](http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-medical-examiner-
lags-in-ruling-on-deaths-5006771.php)

------
kayoone
I remember the conspiracy theories surrounding his death so close to the event
where he would reveal how to hack pace makers... Since his family/friends said
nothing and he had drug problems in the past, this seemed like the most
plausible reason for his death to me. Incredibly sad.

------
ChuckMcM
My Dad once said, the world would be a better place if drugs and alcohol only
killed people we didn't care about. Sadly the world is not like that.

~~~
lfuller
There'd be a lot fewer minorities if that was the case.

~~~
rch
Can we please give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he intended to note
that society doesn't allocate opportunity evenly across all demographics, even
though it should.

Don't vote the comment up though - let it fall peacefully to the bottom of the
pile where it belongs.

~~~
middleclick
Agreed. I think his comment is being taken way out of context. Drop the
pitchfork guys.

------
mortdeus
I'm not usually one for indulging in conspiracy theories, but if there was
ever a shady coincidental happenstance. This "overdose" definitly deserves to
be looked at more thoroughly under a metaphorical blacklight.

------
himal
His 2010 demonstration
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss_RWctTARU&feature=youtu.be](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss_RWctTARU&feature=youtu.be)

------
MyNameIsMK
Why was he doing drugs?

~~~
zaporozhets
For recreational purposes most likely? It's sad that this highly intelligent
person has died, but drugs are a thing. And people do them, and sometimes it
gets out of hand and those people die. There's nothing too unique about this.

~~~
MyNameIsMK
This whole thing sounds highly suspicious. There was also no reason for the
downvote.

~~~
anigbrowl
I don't see why. Lots of people take drugs, they're very available in San
Francisco, and that particular combination is famously risky. Sure, common
sense would tell you that the risk isn't worth it, but people often take
foolish risks in pursuit of a good time.

~~~
codyb
Especially since intelligence and drug use seem to be correlated.[1][2]

[1] [http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-scientific-
fundament...](http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-scientific-
fundamentalist/201010/why-intelligent-people-use-more-drugs)

[2] [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/the-crackademics-
more-t...](http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/the-crackademics-more-than-
one-in-10-cambridge-742933)

------
baconhigh
RIP mate. i was still coming to terms with you being gone and this news
article just brings everything back.

------
quantumpotato_
Did anyone know him to have a drug problem? I still find the timing
suspicious.

~~~
Canada
Yes, it was widely known. Don't be surprised that none of his friends wanted
to discuss it in public after he passed.

~~~
quantumpotato_
Certainly. Thanks. I'm still keeping my tinfoil hat on though.

Sad that he went.

------
extx
How well know was he? Will HN have a black banner to remember him?

~~~
codyb
I'm certain many a reader here can attest to being awed by his cracks on pace
makers and ATMs. I know I was.

Not sure what gets you a black banner. Did Steve Jobs get one? I've never seen
one personally. If it's only based upon how well known you are in the tech
community than Steve Jobs would certainly deserve one.

What about Aaron Schwartz? Probably less known among the general populace but
a minor celebrity within the tech community prior to his death. And much more
well know post-mortem like many great and talented persons through the ages.

