David Jacoby

David Jacoby is a leading cybersecurity expert and ethical hacker with over 30 years of professional experience, renowned for making complex security challenges accessible and actionable. He has starred in the hit TV show "HACKAD_", advised on the Millennium book series featuring Lisbeth Salander, and contributed to industry publications including "A Guide to Kernel Exploitation" and "Generation 500". Now leading strategy for Syndis, an innovative Icelandic IT security firm, David guides organisations to identify vulnerabilities not just in technology, but in the gaps between systems, processes, and human behaviour. His engaging live hacking demonstrations and practical insights empower audiences to strengthen defences, reduce risk, and build security as a mindset rather than simply a product.

When David Jacoby hacked his own home to expose its vulnerabilities, he proved what he'd spent three decades demonstrating: security failures rarely happen where we expect them. Over more than 30 years, he has ethically broken into systems, written security tools, submitted bugs for bounty programmes, and uncovered the cracks that exist not in firewalls or technology, but in the spaces between systems, processes, and human behaviour. His technical work has influenced some of Sweden's leading IT security firms, inspired the hacks used by Lisbeth Salander in David Lagercrantz's continuation of the Millennium trilogy, and earned him recognition as one of the country's most daring security researchers. From breaking into a fully updated Mac without traditional tools to starring in the hit Swedish TV show "HACKAD_", where he hacked companies live on air, David has consistently pushed boundaries to reveal how organisations truly remain vulnerable.

Now leading strategy for Syndis, an innovative Icelandic IT security company focused on unhacking the planet, David guides organisations to strengthen their defences through offensive security, customised security operating centres, and professional management consulting. His career has taken him through pivotal roles at Outpost24, Truesec, Unbreached, and the Threat Prevention Center, where he worked to democratise top-tier security for small and mid-sized businesses. His award-winning research and media presence have made him a regular fixture in international publications and programmes, including "Veckans Ord" and "Stoppa Tjuven", where he demystifies IT security for mainstream audiences. David has also contributed to industry-renowned books such as "A Guide to Kernel Exploitation: Attacking the Core", "Generation 500", "Svenska Hackare", and "Cybersecurity ABCs", cementing his status as both a technical authority and an accessible educator. His technical advisory work extends into pop culture, shaping how hacking is portrayed in major projects across books and television.

David's talks cut through the noise of cybersecurity by focusing on what actually matters: identifying where things can go wrong before attackers do. Through engaging live hacking demonstrations and practical insights drawn from real-world breaches, he shows audiences that adding more technology rarely solves the problem. Instead, he empowers organisations to look for vulnerabilities in configuration mistakes, unmonitored API connections, cloud misconfigurations, and the human behaviours that create exploitable gaps. His approach transforms security from an expensive, knowledge-intensive luxury into an accessible mindset that prioritises vigilance over complexity. Whether helping teams create secure passwords, avoid online scams, or rethink their entire security posture, David delivers fresh perspectives and actionable strategies that leave audiences better equipped to defend against an ever-evolving threat landscape.