Joseph Cox is an investigative reporter focused on cybersecurity, hacking communities, and government surveillance programs. He co-founded 404 Media in 2023 after a decade at Vice’s Motherboard, where his reporting drew on leaked datasets, courtroom record s, and source relationships within the security community.

Reporting at Motherboard

Cox joined Motherboard in 2014 and became known for documenting vulnerabilities in mobile networks, surveillance programs used b y law enforcement, and the activities of cybercrime marketplaces. His investigations included revealing how telecom companies ex posed customer data, how location data brokers sold information to investigators, and how hackers breached corporate systems.

Founding 404 Media

After Vice Media’s bankruptcy filing and layoffs in 2023, Cox helped launch 404 Media to preserve an investigative model driven by public records, technical experiments, and collaborations with security researchers. He continues to publish scoops on govern ment use of spyware, corporate surveillance contracts, and weaknesses in critical infrastructure.

Impact on Policy Debates

Cox’s reporting has informed congressional inquiries and legal challenges related to data privacy and government surveillance. H is work often prompts companies to adjust security practices and pushes regulators to examine how private vendors provide tools to U.S. agencies, shaping broader debates about civil liberties in the digital era.