Hackers Launch Franklin Project To Harden Infrastructure

Jake Braun, co-founder of the Franklin project and former homeland security advisor, says DEF CON’s Franklin project launched in 2024 and has enlisted 350 volunteers to harden critical infrastructure, including water systems. The group released the DEF CON 33 Hackers' Almanack summarizing research on AI-enabled offense, cybercrime takedowns, and tools to resist authoritarianism. Braun urges industry-wide AI security controls and greater hacker-government collaboration to protect infrastructure and civil liberties.