Lorenzo Dina (joecondo)
Lorenzo Dina is a serial tinkerer, explorer, and cybersecurity enthusiast who has been passionate about networks and information security since a young age. About twenty years ago, he took a step in what he likes to call the “right” direction, turning that passion into a professional career across cybersecurity, digital forensics, and information security management.
He works also as a trainer for companies and universities, regularly contributes as a panelist at corporate events, and speaks at conferences within the cybersecurity community.
Session
The Year 2038 problem is often framed as a technical limitation of legacy systems, but its real impact extends far beyond code. At 03:14:07 UTC on January 19, 2038, systems relying on signed 32-bit Unix time will overflow, potentially misinterpreting dates and disrupting critical services. While some engineers have long been aware of this boundary, its broader societal implications remain largely overlooked.
This talk explores Y2038 as a systemic risk embedded in the infrastructure of modern society. From healthcare devices and industrial control systems to financial records and identity management, many long-lived systems still depend—directly or indirectly—on fragile time representations. Unlike typical vulnerabilities, this issue is not confined to a single product or vendor: it is distributed, silent, and deeply woven into global digital ecosystems.
What happens when time itself becomes unreliable in systems we depend on for safety, trust, and accountability?
Rather than focusing on exploitation, this talk reframes Y2038 as a challenge of governance, resilience, and accountability. It highlights how technical debt, supply chain opacity, and the longevity of embedded systems turn a known limitation into a slow-moving, systemic risk—and why addressing it requires coordination beyond the security community.