DEF CON 33

Apologies for an unusually late post, but as most may have guessed, I was attending the legendary DEF CON this year.

What is DEF CON?

Starting in 1993, it was originally a party for "Platinum Net" members, which evolved into a hacker gathering after the organizer left before the event. Over the years, the annual gathering grew into what we now know as the "Haxkor Summer Camp" or "Haxkor Mecha."

This conference spans three days and includes vendors, villages (specialized groups), standard groups, events, and talks. If you can think of it, there’s a non-zero chance a group or village has what you’re looking for.

In my own words, I would call it a huge Haxkor Summer party mixed with a conference.

My Experience:

August 6th:

Pre-DEF CON was mostly about hanging around and prepping, but there was also the Lonely Hacker Club (LHC) meetup at 7 PM that night, which I had been urged to attend to get a feel for the culture before diving in headfirst. At first, the event felt a bit odd since I didn’t really know how to talk to people. However, just as I was about to leave, an LHC leader found me, pulled me into a group, and that led to some great conversations—ultimately earning me the laser tag badge (if you know, you know).

August 7th:

Looking at the calendar, there aren’t many events on this day, which is where my inexperience showed—I had expected more to be happening. In reality, this day is primarily for registration and buying official merchandise.

I arrived at the conference at 6 AM to purchase my badge with cash, which turned out to be a much shorter line. I’d opted to show up early to get through the line in a reasonable amount of time and to experience the legendary “Line Con” everyone talks about. I made some great connections while waiting and had a great time. Once the line opened at 8 AM, I had my paper badge by 8:15 AM (the physical badges were delayed, so paper badges were issued first).

After getting my badge, I felt a bit lost and just started following the crowd, which led me to the official DEF CON merchandise line. This was quite a line, but I made even more connections and had a great time meeting people and enjoying the camaraderie. I also got to meet the legendary “Tib3rius.

I was able to purchase my merchandise by 11:00 AM, at which point I realized nothing was open. I decided to head back to my room, grab some food, and plan how I would tackle the rest of the day, since the only remaining item was the official pool party at 7 PM.

Knowing this would be the last “slow” day, I did some scouting and found the monorail, which would become key transportation moving forward. I then headed back to the conference center to see if there were any secret events. While sitting around, I didn’t find any big happenings, but I did spot Network Chuck—which I regret not saying hello to before he walked away. With nothing else going on, I dropped off my bag and headed to the pool party.

The pool party was awesome—I met a bunch of people and spent most of the time hanging out with some folks I’d met while waiting in line. There were some unique moments, including someone diving into the water fully clothed. After the pool party, I finally crashed from jet lag.

August 8th:

This was the unofficial first day of the conference, and it was exciting. I’d opted to arrive by 7 AM to be around everyone, even though nothing really started until 10 AM. While walking around, I stumbled into the line for the Social Engineering Village, and before I knew it, I was watching the live calls. This honestly blew my mind, as I know people try to get into this event as quickly as possible.

After leaving this event, I headed to the vendor halls to snag some loot, meet vendors, and pick up a ton of items. While there, I met someone I ended up hanging out with for the rest of the conference. After visiting the vendors, I had to take some items back to my room because my bag was full.

Following my loot run, I decided to check out the villages. The sheer number of things to do was a bit overwhelming, but I ran into a friend, and we hung out, explored a bit together, and visited a few villages. While we were talking to some people on the third floor, I turned my head and, to my awe, saw my very first mentor (I won’t spoil who this is yet—they’ll be featured in another post). This moment changed my con for the better.

At this point, the rest of the day was kind of a blur. I went to a few more events and ended the night by grabbing food with some friends.

August 9th:

This was my final day, and unfortunately, I hadn’t planned it well. I called it “Village Day” since I decided to stay in the villages to get as much experience as possible. While walking around, I met the one and only John Hammond—which was wild. I also managed to find the Scam Bait Village, which became a highlight of my last day. I got to speak with them and even dabble with the new software they’re planning to release soon, which I think will truly put the power back in the people’s hands!

As the day came to a close rapidly, I went for one final vendor run. During this run, I saw Zach Hill and stopped dead in my tracks to meet him. It was thrilling—Zach has been such a great figure in the industry, and he even stepped aside to let me get a photo.

Near the end of the day, I saw that Jack Rhysider had a line, and I knew I needed to meet him and give him a coin I had. (Jack, if you somehow read this—sorry for that awkward handshake/fist bump.) I was thrilled to get a comic signed by Jack, as he’s one of the main inspirations for starting this blog.

I ended my final day going to an village party I had the honor of being invited to.

Summary:

I know some of these days are a bit vague, but the sheer number of connections I made and events I participated in turned much of it into a blur. I highly recommend going—if you’re thinking about it, do it! Seriously, I was hesitant at first, but I’m already looking forward to next year.

Advice:

Don’t go to the main talks—they’re recorded.
Have a general plan, but stay flexible.
Drink water and don’t skip meals.
Don’t be shy—everyone is friendly, so make some friends.
Stay off the Strip if you’re not interested in the “predatory Vegas” experience.
Bring a burner laptop/phone if you’re feeling paranoid.
Wear comfortable shoes.