Dark Capabilities - When Tech Companies Become Threat Actors

Explore the hidden and potentially dangerous capabilities of modern technology companies in this DEF CON 33 conference talk that examines how tech giants have evolved into entities with power rivaling governments. Discover real-world examples of companies overstepping boundaries, from cloud providers scanning customer data to rideshare apps tracking users beyond their intended purpose, and robotic vacuums mapping private homes. Learn about the structural capabilities that exist within modern tech platforms regardless of stated intentions, and understand why governments ban certain technologies while threat actors actively target these systems. Examine scenarios where companies might be tempted to use offensive capabilities, how insiders or outsiders could weaponize access to these systems, and the potential for large-scale misuse of corporate technological power. Gain insight into the cyberpunk reality we now inhabit, where the distinction between legitimate business operations and threat actor behavior becomes increasingly blurred, and understand why security professionals must focus on what systems can do rather than what they claim to do.