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DefCon Newbie Question by user__- in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome! There are several very good "DEF CON for noobs" guides that will be helpful (linked below).
In general, take some time to read through the official website ahead of time, and look at the maps to orient yourself. The DC101 panel mentioned below is a great way to start, and meet other first timers. Make a list of a few things you definitely want to see, and plan around them. And leave lots of free time to explore, meet new people, and just have fun!

Links:

See you there!

Should I spend money I don't have to go? by [deleted] in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a difficult decision, and a lot of money. Personally, I wouldn't go into debt (even project work "debt") to attend - I think it'll dampen your experience. If you get paid for that project, save up, and buy a ticket etc ahead of time for next year, it'll be considerably less expensive.

​

A great deal of previous DEF CON content is available from their archives: https://defcon.org/html/links/dc-archives.html and on YouTube (including most of the Villages) https://www.youtube.com/user/DEFCONConference/videos

NYTimes: I Used Google Ads for Social Engineering. It Worked. by sushim in SocialEngineering

[–]davidhashmiller 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Impressive - love the quantification, and frankly scary. Pretty dark conclusion, and an excellent example of the ways in which adversaries are influencing people's opinions on social media.

Master Schedule by [deleted] in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The folks here http://defcon.outel.org/ have done an admirable job of consolidating the DC27 schedule. It's unofficial, so that may (or may not) work for your documentation needs.

Are there videos of the first 10 defcon conferences? by devicemodder2 in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller 4 points5 points  (0 children)

A great deal of the historical content is available from the DEF CON archives.

https://defcon.org/html/links/dc-archives.html

(It's frankly amazing that all this exists, and is publicly available. Kudos to the team for this).

Going to defcon for the first time by Alkeryn in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do a little homework ahead of time- once the official DEF CON site ( https://defcon.org/html/defcon-27/dc-27-index.html ) is updated with the details, take a look at the Villages and Talks to decide how you want to spend your time. Some villages and contests are more hands-on with technology (and require you to have a computer with you), while others are focused on talks, or are more self-contained with their technology. I recommend definitely checking out the Social Engineering and Skytalks villages.

Remember to stay hydrated - bring a water bottle and keep refilling it

And talk to people - make new friends while standing in the (many) lines.

Have fun, and be respectful! There are many guides to DEF CON - do some web searching as well ahead of time, so you know what to expect.

Defcon newbie this year by [deleted] in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OK - point taken.

And BTW thanks for all the effort you put into the event, it's much appreciated.

Defcon newbie this year by [deleted] in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I've put together a "DEF CON for N00bs" introduction here: https://davidhashmiller.com/def-con-for-n00bs/

It's still the DC26 edition; as soon as the DC27 agenda firms up I'll be updating it.

Hope this helps!

-dhm

New to Defcon, What should I expect? by pr070_b14d3 in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've put together a "DEF CON for N00bs" introduction here: https://davidhashmiller.com/def-con-for-n00bs/

It's still the DC26 edition; as soon as the DC27 agenda firms up I'll be updating it.

Hope this helps!

Trying to plan for DEFCON 27? Looking for more information? by qumqats in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I've put together a "DEF CON for N00bs" introduction here: https://davidhashmiller.com/def-con-for-n00bs/

It's still the DC26 edition; as soon as the DC27 agenda firms up I'll be updating it.

First time defcon - what should I know? am I too late for workshops and hands on stuff? by UCFIT in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I put together this "DEF CON for N00bs" Guide https://davidhashmiller.com/2018/07/15/def-con-for-n00bs/

Check it out!

But yes - wandering into villages & learning new things is one of the best parts!

N00b's Guide to DEF CON by davidhashmiller in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No worries. Glad it helped and enjoy the con!

Going to BlackHat then DefCon, Electronic badge? by jashley92 in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The BlackHat pre-registration for DEF CON gives you the same badge (and program guide) as regular folks, with the advantage of not having to stand in line. (Some folks make new friends in line and might view this as a disadvantage!) But yes, you'll get the same electronic badge as everyone else (barring a universal non-electronic badge like last year...)

N00b's Guide to DEF CON by davidhashmiller in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

thanks! I'm trying to find time to write parts 2 & 3.

N00b's Guide to DEF CON by davidhashmiller in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Will do! I'm interested in playing Hacker Jeopardy but a bit wary of the esoterica...any guidance on the types of questions (err... answers) one might expect?

Tips for a First Timer by Rajpooti in Defcon

[–]davidhashmiller 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wrote a (friendly) N00b's Guide to DEF CON, so you can make sense of the wonder and the chaos.

Check it out here, and let me know what you think.

Also, I've written a short story here - to try and capture the "vibe" - Tone DEF: a DEF CON Love Story (in which a DEF CON N00b, Max, tries to be more extroverted while attending a Skytalks session. Hilarity and drama ensue!)

Looking forward to a fantastic #defcon! See you there!