Dan Kaminsky
Security researcher who found a critical flaw in the internet’s DNS
- Lived
- 42 yrs
- 1979 – 2021
- Works listed
- 0
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Dan Kaminsky was an American computer-security researcher who in 2008 discovered a flaw in the Domain Name System that could let attackers redirect internet traffic. He secretly coordinated a fix across vendors before disclosing it. He co-founded White Ops and died in 2021.
Biography
Background
Kaminsky grew up in San Francisco and was caught by his school for probing a computer system. He studied at Santa Clara University.
DNS flaw
In 2008 he found that DNS servers could be poisoned to send users to fake websites. He worked with Microsoft, Cisco and others on a coordinated patch released on the same day.
Root keys
He was one of a handful of “trusted community representatives” holding keys to the DNSSEC root of the internet.
White Ops
He co-founded White Ops (now Human Security), which fights ad fraud and bots. He died of complications of diabetes in 2021, and was praised for his generosity in the security community.
Timeline
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1979
Born in San Francisco, California, United States
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2008
DNS flaw disclosed
-
2010
DNSSEC key holder
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2012
Co-founds White Ops
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2021
Dies
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2021
Died, aged 42
Did you know?
-
1
His mother had to talk him out of trouble when he hacked as a child.
-
2
He found Sony’s 2005 rootkit on millions of computers.
-
3
Security conferences dedicated talks to him after his death.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Dan Kaminsky?
Dan Kaminsky was an American computer-security researcher who in 2008 discovered a flaw in the Domain Name System that could let attackers redirect internet traffic. He secretly coordinated a fix across vendors before disclosing it. He co-founded White Ops and died in 2021.
When did Dan Kaminsky die?
Dan Kaminsky died on 23 April 2021 at the age of 42.
Where is Dan Kaminsky from?
Dan Kaminsky was born in San Francisco, California, United States.
What is Dan Kaminsky known for?
Dan Kaminsky is best known for Discovering the 2008 DNS cache-poisoning flaw; co-founding White Ops (Human Security).
References
- Dan Kaminsky — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Official website. dankaminsky.com. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Dan Kaminsky (Q92673) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Dan Kaminsky”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Dan Kaminsky.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/dan-kaminsky
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