Apple Hires World-Class Hacker Kristin Paget (Formerly Chris Paget)

Kristin Paget, formerly known as Chris Paget, is now on Apple’s payroll where she most likely handles the OS X security division. However, she wouldn’t confirm any specifics regarding her job with the Cupertino-based Mac maker.

Paget confirmed in an email exchange that she is now working for Apple. Wired reports that the hacker directed all questions to Apple’s public relations department.

Apple, secretive as they are, declined to comment on the matter.

Paget has been chief hacker at Recursion Ventures, a company that deals more with hardware security and less with software.

She left there in July seeking a job that involved building “security-focused hardware,” rather than finding bugs all day long.

“I’ve done too much breaking of things, it’s time to create for a change,” she said.

The security buff also worked with a team of hackers at Microsoft to double down on Windows Vista’s security flaws.

Paget is also known to have built a cellphone-intercepting base station which she showed off at the Defcon hacker conference in 2010, back when she was still referred to as Chris. A year later, she switched genders to become Kristin Paget.

Apple’s refusal to comment on the hiring of Paget should not come as a surprise. Had they confirmed every internal hiring and firing it would probably leave no room for any headlines regarding its actual products.

Another aspect to look at is, believe it or not, security. OS X has long been debunked for its susceptibility to hacking, but the company doesn’t want to attract hackers’ attention any more than necessary.

With every new market-share point chalked up on the blackboard, Apple’s Mac OS becomes an ever-more attractive target for cybercriminals. And the company needs competent individuals handling this side of its desktop operating system.