Ralph Echemendia

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Ralph (Rafael) Echemendia
Born
Havana, Cuba
Occupation(s)Ethical Hacker, Cyber Security Expert, Public Speaker, Consultant

Ralph (Rafael) Echemendia is a cyber security specialist, who is known as "The Ethical Hacker."[1] He specialises in protecting intellectual property in the entertainment industry and educating on security.[2]

Early life[edit]

Echemendia was born in Cuba and raised in the US where he attended Miami Senior High.[3] His first computer was a Commodore 64.[4] He began hacking with it at the age of 14.[5]

Entertainment industry[edit]

Echemendia began working in entertainment via investigating the early online leak of an Eminem album.[5]

In 2011, Echemendia was the lead technical investigator on the breach of security that led to The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 leaking. He worked to identify the person responsible for leaking behind the scenes pictures and videos of the film, almost a year before the movie’s release.[6][7]

In 2015, Echemendia worked with Stone on Snowden, providing technical supervision.[8] He supported the actors by explaining the background to the technical terms in the script.[9] Echemendia and screenwriter Kieran Fitzgerald also worked with Edward Snowden to replicate the actual NSA log-in screen.[10]

In 2016, Echemendia became the hacking consultant to directors and producers of Nerve.[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Singh, Lisa. "Ralph Echemendia, the 'Ethical Hacker,' to Speak at Public Sector Cybersecurity Summit". Washington Exec. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  2. ^ Bailey, Jason (22 April 2015). "In a Post-Snowden, Post-Sony Hack World, Who Has the Power to Disseminate Secrets?". Flavorwire. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  3. ^ Ruse, Gary Alan (27 May 2015). "Once a teenage 'hacker,' he now is a consultant for films". Brickell Tribune. Miami's Community Newspapers. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  4. ^ Lipscomb, Jessica (15 September 2016). "Miami Hacker Ralph Echemendia Now a Security Consultant for Snowden Movie". Miami New Times. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  5. ^ a b Kushner, David (23 November 2015). "The Hacking of Hollywood". Backchannel. Wired Media Group. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  6. ^ Rushfield, Richard (16 August 2013). "Burning Question: How Do Studios Protect Their Films From Internet Hackers". Movie Talk. Yahoo. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  7. ^ Belloni, Matthew (4 August 2011). "Accused 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' Hacker Pleads Not Guilty; Summit Responds". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  8. ^ Taroy, Daniel (16 September 2016). "How Do You Even Begin To Make A Film Like "Snowden"?". FastCoCreate. Fast Company. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  9. ^ Gaudiosi, John (15 September 2016). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt wrestled with Snowden's legacy before meeting him in person". Digital Trends. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  10. ^ Roberts, Jeff John (16 September 2016). "5 Cool Tech Tidbits From the 'Snowden' Movie". Fortune. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Nerve (2016) Full Cast & Crew". IMDB. Retrieved 25 August 2016.

Further reading[edit]

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