DEF CON 2026

September 04, 2026 History DEF CON Hacking

Hello web-surfers! Here i'll tell ya'll what DEF CON is! And how was this year's event! This is the first time i went there, and absolutely loved it!

Originally started in 1993, it was a meant to be a party for member of "Platinum Net", a Fido protocol based hacking network out of Canada. As the main U.S. hub I was helping the Platinum Net organizer (I forget his name) plan a closing party for all the member BBS systems and their users. He was going to shut down the network when his dad took a new job and had to move away. We talking about where we might hold it, when all of a sudden he left early and disappeared. I was just planning a party for a network that was shut down, except for my U.S. nodes. I decided what the hell, I'll invite the members of all the other networks my BBS (A Dark Tangent System) system was a part of including Cyber Crime International (CCI), Hit Net, Tired of Protection (ToP), and like 8 others I can't remember. Why not invite everyone on #hack? Good idea!

September 04, 2026

The short answer is a combination of places. There as a SummerCon in the summer, a HoHoCon in the winter, a PumpCon during Halloween, etc. I didn't want any association with a time of year. If you are a Phreak, or just use your phone a lot you'll notes "DEF" is #3 on the phone. If you are into military lingo DEF CON is short for "Defense Condition." Now being a fan of the movie War Games I took note that the main character, David Lightman, lived in Seattle, as I do, and chose to nuke Las Vegas with W.O.P.R. when given the chance. Well I knew I was doing a con in Vegas, so it all just sort of worked out.

September 04, 2026

It was absurdly awesome! I've talked to many cool people, from different countries, cultures and mindsets, that event really opened my mind, and i've met many different styles and subcultures. Like, i now wear punk streetwear, a bit goth attire, and i've seen many cool styles there, all nerds like me, and probably you! About the villages and merch, and tech stuff, and all, i've seen many things, i even got some cool gadgets!

I've learned how to lockpick, and got a essential lockpicking kit, i got a portable wifi pineapple, called "Pager" i bought it from https://hak5.org , they had a stand there! I've learned a lot about hardware, and got a new laptop, installed Arch on it, and disscussed tech stuff with many people! It was very fun, and if i can, i'll definitely go next year again!

The event is 3 days long, and the stands close early, but you can stay in the building 24h, because there is late night shows, some events like "capture the flag" where you and your team try and invade a something, while other teams try that as well, and talk to people! The price of the ticket is not cheap, but it's definitely worth every cent. I recommend going, for everyone who can afford and is interested in hacking, software, hardware, and cybersecurity.

PS: The event happens every year at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, around August. 3 days of event, everyone is welcome.