A cybersecurity startup aggressively marketing millions of dollars for the acquisition of zero-day security vulnerabilities in widely used software is reportedly helmed by a duo with a history of far-right conspiracy theorizing and felony convictions, whose recent entrepreneurial endeavors included the operation of fictitious intelligence firms and a now-defunct AI-driven lobbying platform under assumed identities. The X/Twitter account, identified as IRIS C2 (@C2IRIS), has rapidly amassed over 4,000 followers since its inception in January 2025, consistently posting content related to security vulnerabilities, artificial intelligence, and software exploits. IRIS C2 purports to be a company based in McLean, Virginia, specializing in the sale of offensive cybersecurity capabilities.

A pinned post at the apex of the IRIS C2 X account articulates the company’s recruitment strategy: "Our business model is this: Attract the very best vulnerability researchers and exploit developers in the world to join our company. This mostly revolves around junior engineers with raw talent/extremely high IQ. We don’t care if they have a college degree/industry experience." The accompanying website, accessible via irisc2[.]com, advertises numerous open positions and proudly highlights an overwhelming influx of applications from prospective employees, as noted on a recent LinkedIn post. The company’s website boldly claims its core business involves the procurement of "zero-day exploits, individual primitives, partial chains, and full capabilities across all major platforms. Payouts range from $10,000 to $7 million depending on target, reliability, and operational value."

Government contracting portal g2exchange.com identifies irisc2[.]com as being operated by Calvexa Group LLC, a Virginia-based entity. The "contact" link on the Calvexa Group website, calvexagroup[.]com, redirects visitors directly to irisc2[.]com. While G2Exchange indicates Calvexa Group LLC is registered as a federal contractor, there is no readily available information suggesting it is currently engaged in any direct government contracts. An investigation into the Arlington, Virginia address listed in Calvexa Group LLC’s incorporation records reveals the property is associated with Jack Burkman, the 60-year-old founder and managing partner of the lobbying firm Burkman & Associates. When questioned about IRIS C2, Burkman directed further inquiries to his long-time associate, 28-year-old Jacob Wohl.

Burkman and Wohl share a well-documented history of fabricating intelligence companies, which they then utilized to disseminate false accusations and frame public figures. This includes the creation of fabricated sexual assault allegations against former FBI Director Robert Mueller and Pete Buttigieg, who was then the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and a Democratic presidential candidate. In 2019, Burkman and Wohl held press conferences making unsubstantiated claims of extramarital affairs by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Kamala Harris, a candidate in the 2020 presidential race.

Following the 2020 presidential election, Wohl and Burkman faced prosecution in multiple U.S. states for orchestrating thousands of robocalls to residents in swing states, disseminating false information regarding mail-in ballots. They were indicted in Cleveland on 15 felony counts for allegedly orchestrating a robocall scheme designed to suppress the Black vote in Detroit. After their appeals to dismiss the charges were denied, they were sentenced to probation in late 2025. In 2022, both Wohl and Burkman pleaded guilty to a single felony count of telecommunications fraud in Ohio, receiving a fine, probation, and community service. Furthermore, in March 2023, a New York civil court judge ruled that Wohl and Burkman had violated federal and state civil rights laws, leading to a $1 million settlement. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) further penalized Wohl and Burkman in June 2023 with a $5.1 million fine for their robocall campaigns, which at the time represented the largest fine ever sought by the FCC under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

By the age of 17, Wohl had already launched multiple investment firms and gained the moniker "Wohl of Wall Street" after appearing on Fox News in 2015 to discuss his burgeoning hedge funds. In 2017, the Arizona Corporation Commission filed 14 counts of securities fraud against Wohl and his investment funds, ordering him to pay $35,000 in restitution. In 2019, Wohl entered a guilty plea in California to four felony counts of selling unregistered securities, resulting in a two-year probation sentence.

The market for previously unknown security vulnerabilities has historically attracted a diverse group, including legitimate researchers, academics, charlatans, individuals seeking notoriety, and those actively involved in cybercrime. However, the sector for selling offensive security services to the U.S. government typically operates with a greater degree of discretion. While numerous government contractors actively recruit vulnerability researchers and secure exclusive rights to novel software exploits, none have adopted the overtly public and brazen approach exemplified by IRIS C2.

KrebsOnSecurity first became aware of IRIS C2 last month after an attendee at a regional cybersecurity conference reported that Wohl and Calvexa Group were actively approaching individuals at the conference to solicit their vulnerability research. In an interview with KrebsOnSecurity, Wohl stated that Burkman is not involved in the daily operations of IRIS C2. Wohl elaborated that IRIS C2 initially functioned as a penetration testing company but recently pivoted its focus to selling phone-hacking services to the government. Throughout the interview, Wohl repeatedly alluded to involvement in federal government contracts, but when pressed for specifics, he cited confidentiality restrictions.

Wohl admitted to lacking any formal education or training in computer science or information security, asserting that his expertise is largely self-taught. "I know more about tech than anyone," Wohl boasted. "My background has always been extremely technical, and I’ve always been deeply into tech. People know me as someone who is able to create spectacularly exquisite capabilities that would make your head spin." Wohl claimed that security researchers regularly provide the company with unique vulnerability findings, though he acknowledged that many of these are preliminary and require further development. "Let’s say someone finds a flaw in a media decoder on a phone," Wohl explained. "A lot of times what we receive is an exploit primitive, where the idea is there but the [execution] needs work. You need that exploit to be stable and reliable, and that’s what we do."

Wohl estimated that IRIS C2 employs approximately 40 individuals, though he stated that none are permitted to list their employment on LinkedIn for operational security reasons. In May, the individual managing the IRIS C2 X account admitted that his girlfriend was unaware of his profession. It is plausible that other IRIS C2 employees may also be unaware of Wohl’s history of fabrications or even his true identity. In September 2024, Politico reported that Burkman and Wohl were promoting their now-defunct company, LobbyMatic, which claimed to leverage artificial intelligence for political lobbying, asserting that major corporations were purchasing their services. However, Politico’s investigation revealed that the pair operated the company under pseudonyms, with Wohl reportedly using "Jay Klein" and Burkman adopting the moniker "Bill Sanders." Politico further reported that two former LobbyMatic employees resigned upon discovering their true identities, while others only learned of the deception after their departure.

An update on July 9th, 9:44 a.m. ET, from KrebsOnSecurity highlighted a March 31 publication by journalist Molly White. This report revealed that Burkman and Wohl received a $300,000 retainer from a Canadian cryptocurrency fraudster, who is currently sought by the United States and several other countries for allegedly stealing $65 million from crypto platforms KyberSwap and Indexed Finance. According to White’s report, Burkman and Wohl were engaged to pursue a "presidential pardon to avert a miscarriage of justice" on behalf of the accused hacker, who has not yet been convicted.