Michael Schearer

Michael Schearer (born 28 November 1975) is an American computer security researcher and writer who is known for his research and presentations on the technology of improvised explosive devices, wireless security, cryptography, privacy, and related legal issues. He is a contributing author to multiple books on computer security, and is currently a Network Analyst for Booz Allen Hamilton. In the computer hacker community, he is known as theprez98.

Education
Originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, Schearer currently lives in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Schearer has a Master's degree in national security studies from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Bloomsburg University. Before Booz Allen, he worked for the United States Navy. He is currently pursuing a law degree from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

Military
From June 1999 until February 2008, Schearer served as a Naval Flight Officer and Electronic Countermeasures Officer (ECMO) in EA-6B Prowler aircraft. During 2003 and 2004, Schearer flew combat missions for VAQ-139 from the USS Abraham Lincoln over Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraq during Operation Southern Watch, and again over Iraq during the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. From May 2005 until February 2008, Schearer was an Assistant Professor of Naval Science for the NROTC unit located at the Pennsylvania State University. During that time, he was deployed to Iraq for nine months as an electronic warfare officer tasked to train military forces in the use of counter-IED equipment. After returning from Iraq, Schearer gave several public presentations concerning the technology of improvised explosive devices.

Writings on computer security
In 2007, Schearer was a contributing author to Penetration Tester's Open Source Tookit, Volume 2. In 2008, Schearer contributed to two other books: Netcat Power Tools and Kismet Hacking. Most recently, he contributed to the book Defense Against the Black Arts: How Hackers Do What They Do and How to Protect Against It by CRC Press.

Other writing
Schearer has written several articles published by Naval Safety Center publications Sea & Shore and Approach. He also maintains a weblog, MikeBlog, which focuses on his interests in sports, politics, computer and technology projects, and reading. He also writes a popular "Plain English" series, which summaries Supreme Court opinions and other appellate cases into an easy-to-read format.

Organizations
Schearer is a founding member of the reformed Church of WiFi, a wireless security research group. The Church hosts member-contributed projects related to wireless security issues and has presented research at DEF CON, H.O.P.E., Penn State Security Day and ShmooCon.

Schearer is also a founding member and former keyholder of the central Maryland hackerspace Unallocated Space.

Presentations
Schearer has presented his research at a number of conferences including DEF CON,  ShmooCon,    and Penn State's Security Day.:
 * The Church of WiFi Presents A Hacker in Iraq ShmooCon 3 March 24, 2007
 * The Church of WiFi's Wireless Extravaganza (with Thorn and Renderman) DEF CON 15 August 3, 2007
 * The Church of WiFi Presents: Hacking Iraq DEF CON 15 August 4, 2007
 * Wireless (In)security Penn State Security Day October 17, 2007
 * Can Mathematics and Computers Really Solve Crimes? ShmooCon 4 February 17, 2008
 * BackTrack 3 and Wireless (In)security Booz Allen Hamilton June 26, 2008
 * Pen Testing the Web with Firefox (with John "DaKahuna" Fulmer) The Last H.O.P.E. July 20, 2008
 * Wireless (In)security Booz Allen Hamilton July 23, 2008
 * Pen Testing the Web with Firefox Central PA Open Source Conference October 19, 2008
 * Solve This Cipher and Win! ShmooCon 5 February 8, 2009
 * Pen Testing the Web with Firefox HackCon February 17, 2009
 * Investigating the Web with Firefox Maryland Investigators & Security Association April 13, 2009
 * Pen Testing the Web with Firefox Central Maryland Technical Exchange Forum July 20, 2009
 * Pen Testing the Web with Firefox CONFidence 2009/2.0 November 19, 2009
 * SHODAN for Penetration Testers ShmooCon 6 Firetalks February 5, 2010
 * Attacking Internet Kiosks (based upon the work of Paul Craig) HackCon February 18, 2010
 * Black Hat Webcast: Pen Testing the Web with Firefox Black Hat Webcast March 18, 2010
 * SHODAN for Penetration Testers QuahogCon April 24, 2010
 * SHODAN for Penetration Testers The Next H.O.P.E. July 16, 2010
 * How to Pwn an ISP in Ten Minutes or Less DEF CON 18 Skytalks July 30, 2010
 * SHODAN for Penetration Testers DEF CON 18 August 1, 2010
 * How to Pwn an ISP in 10 Minutes or Less (without really trying) Security BSides Delaware November 6, 2010
 * Net Neutrality, the FCC, and the End of the Internet as We Know It Shmoocon 7 Firetalks  January 29, 2011
 * WTF Happened to the Constitution?! The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age DEF CON 19 August 5, 2011
 * Net Neutrality Panel DEF CON 19 August 5, 2011
 * Contractors, Clearances, and Chaos: Tales from the Crypt DEFCON 19 Skytalks August 6, 2011
 * Privacy is Dying, and It's Your Fault Security BSides Delaware November 11, 2011
 * Five Ways We’re Killing Our Own Privacy Shmoocon 8 Firetalks January 27, 2012
 * Flex Your Rights: The Constitution and Political Activism in the Hacker Community DerbyCon 2.0, September 29, 2012
 * Panel Discussion: Legal Aspects of Microsoft's Botnet Takedowns Security BSides Delaware November 10, 2012
 * Panel Discussion: Speakers Hackers get Schooled: Learning Lessons from Academia ShmooCon 9, February 15, 2013

Publications

 * Schearer, Michael. How safe is your neighborhood? Sea & Shore, Fall 2005.
 * Schearer, Michael, et al. Penetration Tester's Open Source Tookit, Vol 2, Syngress Publishing, 2007. ISBN 1-59749-213-2
 * Schearer, Michael, et al. Netcat Power Tools, Syngress Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-59749-257-7
 * Schearer, Michael, et al. Kismet Hacking, Syngress Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-59749-117-4
 * Schearer, Michael, et al. Defense Against the Black Arts: How Hackers Do What They Do and How to Protect Against It, CRC Press, 2011. ISBN 978-1-4398-2119-0