The cybersecurity community is mourning the loss of long-time member Kelly Lum, known by the handle Aloria, who passed away due to a serious illness on Sunday. A resident and mainstay of New York’s hacking scene, Lum is being remembered as both an excellent technical practitioner and a warm and welcoming member of the community. Lum was a trailblazer who, Moussouris noted, had been successful in the industry for over 20 years, despite suffering from bipolar disorder. Lum was open about her experiences, inspiring others to seek help, come out about their own issues and tackle the ongoing stigma against mental health issues in tech. In addition to her professional work, Lum was widely respected for her cultural contributions, including her hilarious Twitter parody account Infosec Reactions, her love of silly hats, t-shirts and memes, her well-reasoned opinions, and her impressive karaoke skills. One of Lum’s colleagues, Kelly Shortridge, said that Lum embodied the information security industry at its best: combining serious technical skill with playfulness, ingenuity and authenticity.
Hacker Kelly ‘Aloria’ Lum dies at 41, leaving a legacy in the community.
