Phillip Stearns ’07 checks in: “This July I premiered a new real-time, multichannel sound installation, Here Be Dragons, as part of the EIM Triennale (Espace [IM] Media) produced by the Sporobole, an artist-run center in Sherbrooke, Quebec. The work translates cyber attacks on servers located in 15 different countries directly into raw sound. These servers were configured using a tool called a ‘honeypot’ in order to make them appear vulnerable. Attackers were able to interact with and download malware onto these servers. The wild-caught malware samples became the source material for “The Honeypot Collection,” a project that translates malicious code into woven textiles. It’s currently live on Kickstarter. The campaign’s main purpose is to raise funds for the Open Vault project, an installation and performance of a pop-up retail space for cyber weapons and other malicious software (think Comp USA for malware). Open Vault will launch its first full-storefront installation on Oct. 7 as part of Wallplay’s ON CANAL project.”