Thoughts after my first DEF CON

My first @DEFCON 31 is just gone. I heavily wondered about how it would have been and, honestly, it just crashed my expectations. I came home with a thousand ideas and a great desire to get to work to improve. Basically, I’m now fully charged for the upcoming academic year!

The main stage in Caesars Forum.

The chill area, great music by SomaFM.

Here some of my newbie’s random thoughts/tips: 👇

  1. Stickers, stickers everywhere! I was planning to leave my laptop free from stickers, but now it will be so hard to stick (lol) to the plan.
  2. Better keep airplane mode whenever possible, but do not freak out too much. Just take precautions. Burner phone and laptop are the best choice. If you cannot, just be careful.
  3. The hacker community is one of the most inclusive I ever know. Be yourself, enjoy your time with folks that share with you a true passion for cybersec.
  4. Ask questions. Get out of your specific field and explore villages. Villages’ volunteers are expert waiting for you to share their experience. Their time and experience is precious.
  5. #linecon is the best way to socialize. I made a lot of new friends during these days, most of them just while waiting in the line. And do not let the ball touch the ground!!!
  6. Do not ask specific personal questions. Might sound stupid, but IMHO it’s not. E.g., ask “What is your job?” rather then “What company do you work for?”. Privacy-awareness is a must.
  7. Time is limited: accurately review the talks you must attend and be there in advance to be sure to get in. Remember that a lot of those are recorded, so give priority to those who are not.
  8. Last but not least. Drink. More. Water.
  9. Follow the 3-2-1 rule. If you are not too much into CTFs and challenges, I would go for a 5-2-1 rule instead.

3-2-1 rule explanation while in linecon.

Best thing I’ve seen so far? Social engineering village during the vishing session. It’s been just hilarious, impressive and inspirational.

During a vishing session.

Thanks @defcon #DEFCON31. Thanks @Denis_Donadel for sharing this crazy experience with me. I hope this was the first of a long series.

BONUS: The Grand Canyon West Rim is too touristic, but it’s genuinely amazing. If you have a single spear day to get out from Vegas and enjoy nature, this is probably the best choice.

The astonishing canyon.

From my Twitter line.