Vegas and the Lucky Number 7

Las Vegas. Early August. Every Year. Except that ONE year.

If you know me, you can expect you'll know where I'll be the first week of August every year: DEF CON!!

I've been absolutely blessed to have been able to attend every DC since 26 and always find myself rejuvenated afterwards. The connections, the new ideas, the camaraderie with like-minded people is amazing.

This year was quite different and a somber experience at the con. I lost my brother earlier this year in a senseless situation. Another person I worked with, but consider a very good friend, mentor, brother - bind - passed. Bind is very much woven into the fabric of this industry and touched so many lives. At a time where I was at my lowest, he was able to help pull me out and give me encouragement to persevere. This year felt different.

I was able to present again at Blue Team Village for the third time (Incident Response 101: What Happens After the Hack?) to a crowded audience to kick off the start of DEF CON. The Blue Team Village entrusted ME to lead off the whole thing. I'm honored and can only hope I lived up to expectations. I'm always thankful for the ability to share what I learn, give back to the community and help shape new minds. Getting feedback that audience members found value in the content we provided is absolutely amazing!

Over the past year, I had the privilege to work alongside a great team of rock stars at Project Obsidian in Blue Team Village to help build the annual Blue Team Village Project Obsidian Capture the Flag (CTF) competition. Getting to create challenges to try to stump some of the brightest minds, while getting to teach blue team tactics along the way is exhilarating. Working alongside a great group helped so very very much!

Not only did I get to help at BTV, I got to help out at Packet Hacking Village (PHV) during the con. My journey into the PHV began in 2021, thanks to my friend bind encouraging me to give back and volunteer. His lasting impression on me was to give back, to teach others what I know. I've tried to build upon that and give back wherever I can, and PHV is one of the outlets that I was able to sink my teeth into.

This DC, I was able to assist in two areas: Packet Inspector/Packet Detective and the Hardwired. PI/PD was amazing, as always. The sheer number of people who come to check out and work through the challenges never cease to amaze me.

Hardwired was different for me - I had never had the opportunity to help with that area in the five years I had been volunteering. Now I get to show others how to make Ethernet cables. How fun!

Luckily, years ago as part of my job, I had experience terminating RJ-45 cables, so I was able to slot in relatively easily to the operation. Interacting with people wanting to learn how to create a cable from scratch but starting from zero was pretty cool to experience. I had a great time getting to tell stories about my experiences with making cables, some of the history of cabling standards that I knew, and getting a surprise visit from my wife while doing so. It all made for an absolutely amazing experience for DC.

Another part of DC that I absolutely love are the evening events. For at least the past six years, Hacker Jeopardy has been a staple of my DC experience. I made Whose Slide Is It Anyways a new annual staple moving forward. What an amazing evening of fun - even if it was invaded by those who attempted to strip away the joy.

It goes without saying that one apple can spoil the whole bunch. That's very much the truth. Many attendees are gracious, caring, kind. There are others who attend who perhaps should be better aware of how they treat others. Be better. Treat others with respect. Be Kind. It's honestly not that hard to be a good person.

In the midst of everything going on, I managed to obtain what appears to have been a card from the famed “Black Badge Raffle” card game at DEF CON that was super unique. Here it is:

It goes without saying that all this isn’t possible without sacrifice. I am lucky beyond words to have someone in my life that encourages me and pushes me to do great things. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I’m at, nor could I be. I’m happy to have been able to share the DEF CON world with her the past five years. She’s dealt with my long nights working on something for DC and the crazy schedules while AT DC. Thank you for being there for me and keeping me focused on the bigger picture while keeping me grounded all along the way.

Overall, I think the experience was amazing. I find myself looking forward to the next DEF CON, ready to work alongside the amazing teams to build more materials to help teach/train newcomers in the field. If you've never had the opportunity to check out DEF CON, I encourage you to, should you ever have the means to. For its alleged faults, if you find the right crowd for you (and you’re not a jerkface), it can absolutely be a rewarding experience.