Here's the original video of Cresta's "super hacker" claim, which set off a firestorm in the security community at the time.
youtube.com/ZwppWpZEii8?t=79
May 29, 2019 · 11:42 PM UTC
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It gain prominence because Nate McFeters called it out on the @ZDNet Zero Day blog, and spoofed it with his own "Nate McFeters Safe" certification along with "Scanless PCI" (the latter with @jeremiahg).
zdnet.com/article/mcafees-ha…
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When Cresta joined McAfee via the acquisition, they let her go. She wrote a long blog post about it and how she joined "eCommerce Merchants." Her post also encouraged merchants to switch from traffic-stealing ScanAlert to best-practice ControlScan.
crestapillsbury.wordpress.co…
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Cresta's time at eCommerce Merchants did not turn out well. The FTC investigated the company (and named Cresta as a defendant) for sending millions of spam text messages that deceptively claimed recipients could get free iPhones and $1000 gift cards.
ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-pr…
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Instead of giving away free iPhones and $1000 gift cards, they collected personal details to sell, and funneled the traffic to additional offers. They were ordered to pay their profit of $356,950, but it was suspended because they couldn't afford pay.
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Cresta then went back to her roots and joined Trust Guard, which offers a product similar to the original ScanAlert. Her tale of entrepreneurship at Trust Guard is featured in the @Microsoft and @Inc "Road to Rapid Growth."
info.microsoft.com/rs/157-GQ…
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That brings us to present day. I don't know what Cresta is up now, but her story is a fascinating peek into the chaotic landscape that is the security industry. Thanks for reading!
#end