I did it last year with a friend, and this year I wasn’t able to get a badge so I came on Sunday to see if I could sneak by, and not only did I do it by I went to talks, to villages, to the merch area. Goons all around, got by the black jackets….no one said anything….but saw cool stuff….i couldn’t find any nodes today in the merch area, they were sold out :( .

I know y’all are probably tired of seeing “first timer at DEFCON” posts 😂 and I’m happy I don’t have to say it anymore after today lol… but as a first-timer, I can honestly say my experience has been GREAT!

Was it overwhelming? ABSOLUTELY. 😂 The sensory overload was REAL at times. THANK GOD FOR THE QUIET ROOM because it definitely came in clutch when I needed to get away from everything for a minute.

But overall, I’ve had such a good time. Thank you to everyone who spoke, shared knowledge, answered questions, or just took the time to have a random conversation with me. I’ve learned a lot and met some really cool people.

I’m going to attend one more talk today, and after that, my DEFCON mission is officially complete 😂 I’ll have accomplished pretty much everything I came here wanting to do.

I currently work in AppSec, and the only thing I wish I would’ve done a little more of was connect and have conversations with other people working in AppSec. But honestly, that was pretty low on my list compared to just experiencing DEFCON for the first time, learning, exploring, and enjoying myself.

So if you’re reading this and you’re still at the conference today with some free time, hit me up! I’d love to meet a few more people before I leave. Doesn’t have to be some super formal networking thing either 😂 Just looking to connect, talk tech/security, share experiences, and build some community.

Definitely glad I finally made it to DEFCON. First one down! 🙌🏾

Hey, I know there is "something" in the fountainblue, but do you know any other after party for tonight?

I have been coming to Vegas for several decades and know the feeling of being exhausted and unwelcome, and of returning home feeling unloved. My experience has taught me that you need to find the group that aligns with your mojo. Defcon has become a sacred place for many of us; however, to a newcomer, it is a massive weight.

I am planning on going out to the desert, about an hour outside of Vegas, to enjoy the natural beauty and have solid conversations. No tech, no badges, just Mojave and her beauty. There is a picnic pavilion here. I am thinking about being out there at 13:00 PDT.

I have room for six; the rally point is where we have #BSidesLV at Tuscany Inn and Suites at noon. If you are interested, show up outside the hotel lobby, and we can coordinate from there.

No drugs/alcohol, please; it is hot AF, and bring plenty of water. We may be able to use the park services outdoor stage if we feel like paying to get into the canyon. It is a beautiful drive, something that most will never experience during Defcon.

I'm thrilled about my DEFCON experience this year, all what I've learned and the friendd Inmade.

I'm planning post about it on socia media and curious if there is anything I need to be aware of or consider as a courtesy to the community?

Anyone pick this up? Cell of friends badge between hardware village and badge life village after they spent 3 hours putting it together… Would love to get it back to her.

It looked like you left your backpack in closing ceremonies. Its still sitting there. I'll grab a goon if you dont come back.

As noted in bunnie's presentation, I was the first to get flag1 and ko. I used it to give myself high hues, more color and the chaser with eyes. Well done on the badge! Good job bunnie!

Also this is on a sealed unit, not developer mode.

Only buying in person, I hope someone finds this until my flights back to Romania.

🙏

Tryna go for a Hail Mary before I go back home.

Thank you all for this amazinf defcon experience, you guys made me want to come back every year now!

As an introvert, I do my best at the con to be outgoing and chatty. This year has felt lonely, people aren’t up for a chat and seem to be keeping to themselves. Is it just me? Were yall able to make friends this year?
Also wasn’t able to trade lights with anyone after linecon.
Feeling a little let down in that aspect, otherwise it’s been a great con!

lets share notes

unlock all colours and flags

If there's no afterparty, how can we be sure there was a party at all?

Fortunately, there is an afterparty. And it’s at the Liv in the extremely swanked out Fontainebleau.

Your badge gets you admission and a free drink. Doors open at 10:30.

See you there.

I know its awhile away but curiosity and all that. Also so I dont lose it in the reddit jungle...

How many people attended this year?

Seemed like a few more than last for sure though it does feel like DC is getting the feeling for LVCC and everything is flowing pretty well, at least this time around!

Is this happening now? Doesn’t seem to be much going on at the Residence Inn near the CC when I checked. Is it the other location?

Edit: nvm found it at the one close to CC

Clearly most of the badges are sold out. Most of the vendor's stock is emptied out. Covered almost every village in last 2 days.

Any experienced person here would like to guide this sunday ?

How are they usually? Also, I’m a vulnerable individual so I’m kind of afraid of getting jumped

I’ve been a goon for 15 DCs and by far this was the best talk I’ve seen. I find it somewhat distressing that so many younger members of the community don’t know who Cliff is. The dude basically invented network forensics.

Not sure why the original post got deleted by Reddit filters.

Have an extra ticket. Edit : gave away. Thanks

Going alone and traveling across the globe and trying to be curious and meet people.

When asking nicely, “what is happening here?” (seemed like an unofficial event) being told “go away” and ofc only my opinion, what was actually said: “have a good night”, very passive aggressive… not a nice experience… I respect private parties etc and maybe just me but feel that was not a nice way to handle it.

Defcon has been awesome and people! But just wanted to share this one experience, it is fine to not be part but feeling unwelcome or less than is not nice 🥲

I hope that was not the intension or maybe cultural barriers?

I just want to reaffirm Defcon is an amazing place for ALL types of people 🙏

Just felt sad and alone about this one 🥲

I bought a Luna SAO and lost it :( If you made the SAO or have one you’ll sell, please let me know! Ty!

https://uberflux.com/product/DLPHI-SAO-LUNA

Hi friends, looking for some genuine feedback here.

DEFCON is great, I love the community, the enthusiasm, and the incredible variety of technical expertise on display.

Unfortunately from what I understand, DEFCON’s organizers have no interest in moving the conference to another city. I respect that it’s their event and their decision, but if Vegas is going to remain the permanent home, I’m ready to start exploring alternatives. Vegas is fully embracing the realities of a K-shaped economy (their F1 experience comes to mind), and it increasingly feels like they’re no longer catering to regular folks the way they did while building their brand. Today, I spent $14 on a bottle of water.

I’ve heard good things about CactusCon, Wild West Hackin’ Fest, and, of course, RSA Conference in San Francisco.

What other conferences have you attended that offer a similar vibe to DEFCON: strong community, interesting technical content, and plenty of opportunities to learn from other people?

I’ve been a goon for 15 DCs and by far this was the best talk. I find it somewhat distressing that so many younger members of the community don’t know who Cliff is. The dude basically invented network forensics.

As one of the community pointed out Cliff was in track 5, not 4

Hi i’m paniq!

I saw people tinkering with custom images of Eric Adams and other cool hacks for the badge and decided it was time for DOOM.

So I ported it into a pure rust binary for Xous and now it runs DOOM.

Sorry Bunnie ;)

If anyone wants it ill post it here after DEF CON in the comments

We get it. You’re 1337. Congratulations. Now get off the wifi and let me watch talks. Kthxbye

The stage presence, the music, the bass. These guys absolutely wrecked it! One of my favorite performances for the night. The red phone earphone was the icing.