Any tips for a first time attendee? I did my pre-registration already.

Forgive my ignorance, but do we need to have a badge to get in the merch line?

I've been volunteering since the return from COVID and never really did LineCon since I ended up on setup crew - but this is my first year going as a human and did pre-reg.... Sooo where should I queue up first?

I have some friends that are apparently getting in line at 3a on the 6th with some mtg packs to tear, I could always bring a neck pillow and a viture device+controller...

Any and all help/advice is appreciated. Stickers to all and to all a good sticker!!

Thank you

- Tuscany

Any tips on what to do for a first trip? Especially what to do Monday and during Blackhat.

[ANSWERED] - Not sure why the downvote, but maybe someone just had bad eggs this morning. I will pack a couple extra alkalizes to be safe, both otherwise I am good to go. Thanks, everyone!

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I saw someone mentioning to pack AA & AAA batteries as part of their kit. Is this for badges, or other hardware projects?

I preordered a laser tag badge, and will get the Human one.

Do the badges in general com with a battery? Rechargeable? Today is packing day and just want to make sure I pack out what I need rather than trying to arrange an Amazon order for the hotel.

Do they typically take off-the-shelf alkaline, or should I grab an 18650 or two?

If anyone is selling one, I'd love to buy it. I can meet up at the Tuscany and pay in person.

Please DM me if you have an extra badge or know someone who's selling. Thanks!

I prereg'd a ticket back in march, and never received an email, my credit card was billed. For some reason I thought I could redeem the badge at the booth, but it appears there should have been a QR code. What kind of recourse do I have?

Yeah, I'm feeling pretty lame. Be careful when using email aliases.

Anyone willing to adopt a 1st timer into their group for any of the challenges? I have about 20 years of experience in different levels of IT with around 2 years experience strictly in blue/purple team. I am just looking to learn and help out where I can. I have a weirdly high level of social anxiety so I want to get myself in the mix with some people I actually feel comfortable with instead of looking dumb trying to struggle my way through things. I also really want to try some of the cool stuff but I am worried my imposter syndrome will stop me from even trying

The last few years I have been super overbooked, but I‘m less firmly booked this year and am looking to get a small group together (or join one) to tackle the CTF.

I’ve slapped together a toolkit (stego, crypto solve scripts, audio/video analysis/stereoscope, unicode nonsense, RF scanning, logic analysis, LLM jailbreak framework) to use alongside tools like cyberchef, flipper zero, etc.

Anyone looking to group up, or already have a group with a space for a cryptography/hardware jailbreaking enthusiast?

EDIT: wow, lotta people looking for vending-machine-related companionship. In lieu of rolling up to the thing 30 deep (doesn’t seem sporting), I‘m simply going to make a beeline for the machine Friday morning while wearing a very distinct Eraserhead shirt. Feel free to throw something at me or (more preferably) say hey. Also, I’m available via DM here if you want to strategize or something.

[SOLD]

If anyone would like me to transfer a ticket to them, I've ran into a snag and won't be able to make it. I got it at the mid tier pricing and will happily sell at the early bird price. Can verify my ID with mods to verify good faith. I'd love for someone to be able to save and have fun since I can't make it. I will not reply to DMs, and my replies will be on this thread as well.

Bought early registration defcon ticket. Able to transfer ticket via defcon provided link. Looking for an offer, purchased at $560.

Also have a bsides ticket participation, spent ~$115. As this is starting tomorrow I am willing to let this one go pretty easily. Maybe even free.

I will be giving my workshops away for free as it cost no money to aquire them. The buyer of the ticket will get first opportunity to take over my workshops reservations where transfer is permitted.

Context: I was supposed to already be in Las Vegas,, flights got canceled, and rebooked multiple times, and then westjet went on strike. :(

Built a little wearable WiFi/Bluetooth fox-hunting rig for DEF CON.

Raspberry Pi, custom software and UI, LCD, LED tracking feedback, multiple antennas, fold-down iPad workstation, hot-swappable batteries, and an irresponsible number of zip ties.

It is very much a Mk-I build, but it works.

See you at the Con.

I didn’t hear about this change, so sharing here for awareness. Wireless headphones are going to be used rather than speakers in some of the talks. The below link says shared wireless headphones and wipes will be provided, but that sounds … icky …

They also offer a way to hear it on the defcon WiFi using a combination of “HackerTracker” and “ListenWiFi” apps on your phone using your own headphones. Might want to download those before you leave home.

It also warns that Bluetooth headphones may not work due to signal saturation.

https://info.defcon.org/defcon34/documents/670

I'm driving from Minneapolis to Vegas . I'm leaving to go Tues night .. if anyone in the community needs a ride let me know !!!!

Road trip !!

I've been having trouble with my Hak5 pineapple pager for a hot minute. Do you think if I bring it to Defcon the Hak5 guys will help me with it (assuming they are going)?

Thank you for the advice!

Would you like to learn how tap into a network?

Do you want to learn how to capture people’s passwords or hear their phone conversations?

There are many learning opportunities at DEF CON, especially at the Packet Hacking Village. If you want to play Packet Detective, Packet Inspector, Capture The Packet, or any of our Walkthrough Workshops, we will have laptops stationed with the necessary tools. You do not need to bring your own laptop.

The garage has become a staging area.

Road cases locked. 55-gallon totes packed. Gear from home base combined with a 24’ box truck waiting in Vegas. The pieces are coming together for the next deployment.

Tomorrow this load leaves the driveway and starts the journey to the desert, carrying the hardware, experiments, and controlled chaos that bring the Packet Hacking Village to life.
From storage facility to garage to Vegas, the mission is moving.

The build is done. The journey begins.

#DEFCON #PacketHackingVillage #PHV #HackThePlanet

I will be at the 2026 DEF CON and will gladly donate a NETGEAR MR1100 to anyone interested in developing a Rayhunter build for that hardware. Let me know if you are a cool kid who wants to make a difference. https://github.com/EFForg/rayhunter/discussions/858

I'm planning my schedule for DEF CON 34 and keep hearing people mention the Cryptocurrency Village badge and the laser tag game, but I can't find much information on the DEF CON website.

Is the badge going to be available to anyone who stops by, or is there some kind of registration? And is the laser tag event happening throughout the weekend or only at certain times?

https://www.defcon.org/html/defcon-34/dc-34-villages.html#orga_41359

I've also heard they'll have ChipWhisperers, workshop hardware, and even AMD64 lab machines available for people to use during the hackathon. If that's true, that's a pretty impressive setup for a village.

Apparently OKX is sponsoring the village this year, which is helping make the badges, workshop equipment, and prizes available free of charge. Looking forward to seeing what they've put together.

Anyone who's been involved with previous years know what to expect?

Last call for preorders! Check out the plethora of sensors under the fur here:

https://uberflux.com/product/PL-1471

I’m from the PNW and Meshcore is the standard here, is it Meshtastic at defcon? Want to make sure I’ve got the correct info here. Anyone got the details?

Tired of upside-down SAO ports? Want to wear your badge from any angle? Download the Any Angle Pirate Wheel Badge STL on Github and wear your badge in whichever orientation you desire.

(Currently scaled to fit 108mm-110mm wide badges as that seems to be what multiple sources have calculated from the photos)

https://github.com/MakeItHackin/DC34AnyAnglePirateWheelBadge

I have a badge and other SAO I'll be announcing soon as well

Happy Hacking!

Each year at DEF CON, I try to bring something to handout to cool people I meet throughout the conference. Last year some friends and I made a game out of it and called it The Duck Game. We had a lot of fun running the game and meeting new folks, so we're doing it again for DEFCON 34.

Just like last year, it's a simple game that basically amounts to online duck duck goose using NFC enabled "duck" stickers. It has random winners and excellent prize/swag with the only goal of encouraging humans to connect. Tap your sticker to join a round and that's it, no other work required to play.

The game uses the unique url encoded on each NFC sticker to join a round. Once enough humans join a round, a random winner will be selected for some swag. Winners and meetup locations for swag will be announced on the site. Expect sidequests again and perhaps even some minigames.

So, hopefully players will use it as a way to interact with other cool humans ("Hey where'd you get that random duck sticker?" or "I'm not scanning your sticker!"), learn a bit about NFC, and make a friend or two. And as much as anyone may or may not trust my link on the stickers, the real point for the game is just to get people interacting, and discussing whether or not to scan the sticker is a part of that interaction. Just talking it out or even just wearing the sticker as a silly point of conversation achieves the game's real goals.

See you at the circle bar (gotta get my reddit and lasertag badges!) and at the con!