Deviant's DEF CON Advice

[@wonkafansonly2005]

i write my passwords on paper and keep them in a faraday bag just to be safe

[@DeviantOllam]

This is unhackable 😂

[@Roshkin]

I wonder if there's a case to be made that a faraday bag that blocks the visible spectrum is just a white bag.

[@DavidLindes]

@@Roshkin Faraday Envelope? Is that the new name for those envelopes with all the blue lines inside? :)

[@Biped]

@@Roshkin it's basically the same thing, right? the thing being shiny to your eyes is pretty much the same the wifi router "sees". it's all just waves, man 🏄‍♂

[@verumignis4778]

I store mine in a self hosted password manager if i think someone is trying to get in i just pull the plug on a server

[@JessicaFEREM]

Protip: some phones let you plug your phone into your laptop for hotspotting. not only is it usually faster, it's usually much safer than opening a wifi network.

[@argledotorg]

That's my preference when I can It's great to charge at the same time, too.

[@AkiSan0]

i do that most of the time, bc my phone speed is still faster than the "free" wifi you get in most places.

[@hackmiester1337]

This includes every iPhone, for whatever that is worth. (Uses the “ipheth” kernel module in linux)

[@JohnDlugosz]

That's the very reason I bought my first smartphone. No "hotspot" as we know it today; USB tether, sharing the network connection over the Android Debugger link.

[@hackmiester1337]

@@JohnDlugosz those were the days.

[@_mattm_]

Apple Pay / Google pay is more resilient to sniffing attacks than a tap-to-pay card: The card and expiry are transmitted in the clear, so while there is dynamic authentication for tap cards, the card number can be used in other context (like online). Apple Pay numbers are unique to that method, so they can't be abused in that way. Plus if something does go wrong, you can usually dynamically provision it without waiting for your bank to mail you a card.

[@DeviantOllam]

Excellent points, yes. 👍

[@astralinsang]

Happy to see this comment because it’s what I came here to say. Contactless payments are tokenized and keep your card data WAY more secure than other methods- as someone who’s been in the payments industry for a while it’s by far the safest method at the moment IMO.

[@coooooooooool1000]

i haven't really dug too deeply through playing around with a flipper and android "read credit card" apps, with samsung pay and apple pay you still get a card number and expiry, they are different than the plastic card though, and obviously only in the short time window when the payment is active

[@GuidoZ]

@@coooooooooool1000 Flipper, at best, will give you a card number and exp. But it's not going to work for every card (not even every NFC-enabled card). Going along with the theme... "general life advice" is to keep your NFC-0enabled cards in a shielded wallet or whatever. This includes those enhanced driver licenses or anything that can be read by NFC. Such things are cheap (sometimes free as SWAG) and prevent hassle/concern.

[@cogspace]

As a Vegas local, seriously. It's over 110+ °F this week. August isn't going to be any kinder. This heat is deadly dangerous, especially if you're not acclimatized to it. Heat stroke kills over 100 people here every year. Stay hydrated and wear sunscreen. Please. Take care of yourselves and each other. 💜

[@cogspace]

But to be clear, don't let that scare you either. Just be mindful. It's nice and dry here, so as long as you stay hydrated your sweat will do an amazing job of regulating your body temp. It will also do an amazing job of distributing your body odors for all to experience together, so don't forget that shower. =)

[@thesargonas]

118 Sunday....118... 117 is the previous July record. Hottest day EVER? 118 in July 1931.. this year is not playing around with us it seems.

[@mdoering]

​@@cogspace 😅 "it's a dry heat"

[@noahway13]

Why the hell do they have this in Vegas in July? (Rhetorical )

[@thegardenofeatin5965]

Yeah that's me basically out; there are conventions in my time zone and accustomed climate that I think I"ll stick to.

[@JiSe6669]

If you are first timer in an alcohol heavy event. And especially if you are going in without trusted friends. Know your baseline mental health situation. Multi day binges can make a "in control" issue into "out of control", Vegas is designed to help you to make bad decisions. Stand up after every two drinks, go pee and get one non alcoholic drink. Follow the One is none rule, have duplicates of your important stuff (Phone, payment methods, etc.) Listen more than you speak. Be polite, ask for affirmative consent if you are doing anything that might break other persons boundaries.

[@PregnantOrc]

As a non-con vet I know I'd have to mod that 3/2/1 rule to be per 12 hours rather than 24. I know my limits. I need the sleep, I'd need 4 meals even if two are glorified snack breaks to keep up energy for a con and Vegas is so far south from my nornal habitat that I'd need the cooling showers for sanity even if I disregarded hygien.

[@DeviantOllam]

Yeah. The 3,2,1 rule is a little bit of a joke and definitely an understatement. Those are the bare, barr minimums

[@bonivuselderheart2716]

The veteran sci-fi and anime con runners I used to hang out with a decade did 6 hours sleep, and also a change of fresh underwear / clothes with the shower. From what I was told, some of the sci-fi cons had people who you could tell were coming your way if you were downwind two days in. :(

[@SkylerLinux]

"Don't trust any ATM's in the City..." Man if that was really true DEFCON would have to be hosted in the middle of nowhere because no City would let them back.

[@SOOKIE42069]

i always jiggle the card receptacle just to be sure anywhere i go after actually finding a skimmer in the wild at my doctor's office.

[@gorak9000]

Burning Def Con Man

[@frotz661]

The first five Defcons were notable in that each hotel (not 4. 4 banned defcon.) was demolished soon afterwards. It wasn't until Defcon 6 (at the /Plaza) that this was broken.

[@undefined40]

That blender advice was new to me, thanks. I will leave my blender safely at home now and bring my analog pocket knife instead.

[@AshleyStryker1990]

You sure the pocket knife will work if it's not a *tactical* pocket knife? 😂 (Jk!)

[@jabadoo5307]

Tip for using the hotel safe: Put a small safe inside the safe, inside the hotel safe. That’s like 3 squared. Checkmate lockpickers.

[@ke6gwf]

*McNally and LPL high five and tag team

[@MrMilarepa108]

For added protection, you can put a sock over the hotel safe and if they want to steal the safe, all they get is the sock.

[@SableDrakon]

So you get to hear "Binding on 2" three times? Or just wait 30 seconds for LPL to rake open the last lock?

[@CognitiveHeatsink]

​@@SableDrakon LPL will open them with items he pulled out of the trash can or other places in the room.

[@Ellington_Industrial_Arts]

Lol... Dude I love that you dropped "polycule" in your dinner advice. 😂 Definitely my people! ✌

[@a_c_v]

My most defcon laptop experience: At AP, around DC11, by pool 1. Put down thinkpad X20 onto a poolside table. Immediate shutdown. Wasn't hacked, the table was so hot thermal shutdown took over :D

[@WalnutBun]

I think the best way to respond to the people who say "oh I can go days without showering" is to say "the people forced to be around you know for a fact that you can't".

[@acidhelm]

Another shower protip: Take that shower at night before you get into bed. That way, you'll wake up clean and your bed won't get all smelly and gross after days of sweat, smoke, and whatever else your clothes pick up.

[@philpem]

Now that's an odd one. I can see the logic, but whenever I've done it, I've woke up feeling like I never took the shower and just ended up having another (quick) one in the morning.

[@johanneswerner1140]

Then have another shower. I shower in the evenings, mainly because I often work out (run or bike) after work (ok, I used to do that more regularly. Life happens). I need to shower anyway, and now I'm used to that. In the summer I often (depends on weather) shower both evening and morning, mostly because otherwise I'm a smelly miserable mess....

[@totally_not_a_bot]

​@@philpemI often rinse off once and scrub once. I live in a humid area, and in summer my clothes can get saturated pretty easily. In this context, I'd scrub at the end of the day and rinse+deoderant in the morning.

[@carlsojos]

Have never tried DEFCON, but I've been to Las Vegas once. I bought a car sight-unseen (a 1986 Pontiac Fiero), took a one-way plane ticket to the city, picked up the car, and drove it home. Bringing a friend was probably the best decision I made on that trip.

[@toastermon2272]

Sounds like the basic advice you should follow every day, do sensitive/stupid stuff only on trusted networks, only activate connections to your devices when needed and maybe stuff your cards in an RFID blocking sleeve. I'd probably be more cautious at a Taylor Swift concert because at defcon the chance of someone noticing and recognizing shady behavior like tapping peoples credit cards via NFC and acting upon it and you're also way less likely to succeed with something along those lines in this crowd.

[@0x4rk0]

I bring my personal phone and my yolo laptop. I think most of us, our biggest "threat" is physical theft and leaving things behind

[@Amsirahk]

As far as food goes, I'm a veteran at much smaller conventions than Defcon but that vortex is such a ubiquitous phenomena. After having it happen a few times I learned to not deal with that nonsense. Be here in the lobby at this time, we ship out within 10 minutes of that. If you miss it then too bad, either find your own way there or catch us next time. Getting up and down elevators is always a pain but I'll usually give at least an hour's notice. It usually works out quite well for my friends and I even when not planning it far ahead.

[@johanneswerner1140]

Oh, the vortex. And being around with the Spanish Armada (had tons of colleagues turning up at the science conferences) also means you are not starting the discussion before 9pm. By the time you are leaving most places in Central Europe close 😂 I have a colleague who usually books a table for most nights, but leaves a seat or two vacant until the conference. Then he can just ask people to come along. Good strategy.

[@TesserId]

An attempt to generalize the topic: Mitigation and risk acceptance: limit what you do according to the environment and according to what you're willing to sacrifice in that environment. I'm surprised at how many there are in security roles that don't get this. Wish I could teach it to everybody I know. 'Cause, why get into the weeds if you don't understand the principal? Seriously, people who expect the technology to do everything will eventually find where the technology fails. Of course, this why I follow this channel.

[@zerker2000]

I feel like given intricacies like "don't connect to the open network, or esp download app updates, for example by leaving auto-update on", for the average unsavvy journalist, "don't bring any devices you love or log in to accounts you love" is *absolutely* the correct advice. like personally, despite following most of the concepts in the video, I would still go the paranoid route just to have no /temptation/ to do irresponsible things

[@Heeby-Jeebies]

I love how direct, honest, and kind you are at the end. "I'm not going to vortex with you. But i will walk and talk with you. I want to meet you, come say hey." That's genuine, man.

[@BurningMonkey]

I met Deviant at Woodland Brutality 2021 he really does do that to you he really does want to talk, but you best be ready to walk and talk cause he ain't going to stop moving, much like a shark

[@elizabethdavis9384]

This is great advice for any con. I tend to old-fart modify it to 5-3-1.

[@DeviantOllam]

Oh yeah for me it's like 8-4-2 😂

[@compu85]

Hahaha the dinner plan debacle is so true. I got so fed up with this at VCF events I stated just going to Taco Bell, and getting a big ole box of tacos. Pre-planning dinner is so genius. I'll have to remember that!

[@SusanIvanova2257]

So what you're saying is my anime con and festival survival skills would be transferable? Sweet. My pro tip are granola bars. Somehow self preservation instincts and cosplay seem mutually exclusive. Granola bars have enough sugar to perk someone up quickly but just enough fibre to not crash like you would with other candy. It can tide someone over and keep them going at least until you've found them some other food.

[@nticompass]

I actually did pretty well with meals at DEF CON. My hotel had a restaurant for breakfast, for lunch, I tried my best to grab a sandwich from somewhere when I had a free second, and for dinner I was happy that restaurants were open pretty late and I would just go find somewhere myself and eat something (I'm a little socially awkward). But, I don't always eat the best at cons, especially when the schedule is so packed and leaves me no time to eat.

[@fixins]

I got my road laptop second hand surplus from a police department. I stenciled (what could be) my last name across the front of it. I look like a bait cop. Historically everyone leaves my gear alone.

[@shawn___]

The blender speed got me - never packing one for a Vegas trip again

[@L0op]

I love how down to earth you are, without being condescending. Your videos are a breath of fresh air in this hell of hyperbolic panic inducing clickbait

[@Gunbudder]

i'm pretty sure you know my infosec professor from the early days of defcon (but i won't name drop). she proudly displays the 5 or so defcon badges in her office from way back in the day. i noticed they were all from before 2010 or so (much earlier if i remember) and i asked her why she doesn't go to the new ones. she answered me by asking which year defcon talks do i watch on youtube? she also followed up by saying that defcon had become too corporate and all the really cool hackers had stopped going. i never had the money to get down there, and i also really hate being around people, so i've always just stuck with the recorded talks. It makes me wonder if the old timers are just being hipster about defcon, or if it really grew too much? did it pass that tipping point where a small community becomes too large to have a meaningful conversation that involves all of its members?

[@KylejvT]

Basic Con Kit: salt tablets to boost your electrolytes and help get those fluids in, at least a 1 liter water bottle (35 ounce?) wetwipes (mammoth wipes if you can find them), deodorant, trek snacks (fruit rollup, trail mix, energy bars), selection of over the counter meds (ibuprofen, paracetamol, antacid, constipation and diarrhea meds, plasters, blister kit), suntan lotion and after-sun lotion and a hat. That should help you survive most festivals and cons.

[@frotz661]

Get a Camelbak and put WATER in it. Not beer like some goofballs I've seen do.

[@csudsuindustries]

One rule I live by if you drove to DC from out of state, make sure whoever has the car did not leave early or is MIA. Keep tabs. This is easier now than back in the late 90s Also if someone had a deposit on a keg make sure you know where the keg is. I had to book a last min flight back home more than once as they got pissed off at something and left us stranded while they drove 500+ miles home. Or when someone bought a keg, took it to $RANDOM room back in the AP days then could not get the keg back. They wanted their deposit back no matter the impact to others.

[@DeviantOllam]

Oh absolutely.... Not everyone has this privilege, but one thing I recommend is people consider sticking around through Monday and departing on Tuesday. Use Monday as a wind down day to set affairs in order, etc. (Heh, that sounds very funereal)

[@RT-qd8yl]

That's why I won't travel or go places with multiple people. Ruins the whole experience when you have to put up with other people and their bullshit. Keep it limited to one other person and be sure you have a way to remove them from the experience if they get annoying or cumbersome.

[@petergerdes1094]

I now want a full video about what kind of blender you should bring.

[@DeviantOllam]

I do have a blender that I've used at cons to make food on the show floor and stuff... It is a lot lighter weight and easier to use because it's basically an adapter for the ninja stick blender. It looks like a large pitcher and the ninja stick attaches to the top of it.

[@ImGumbyDangit]

Hey Deviant, I used to be in the CATV industry and have done a lot of Trade Shows in Vegas. One thing you did not mention, and it's probably because it does not affect you is Gambling and not leaving your money on the Casino floor. If someone has not learned the hard lesson of gambling, it could be problem. I hope to meet you at a show or event sometime. Take care

[@DeviantOllam]

When you reference leaving one's money on the casino floor... Do you mean leaving chips unattended or do you just mean how easily many people are parted with their dollars when they are gaming?

[@mdoering]

This can be most elegantly summed up with "Vegas wasn't built on winners"

[@ImGumbyDangit]

@@DeviantOllam yes, be parted from your hard earned cash by games of chance that always favor the house.

[@ShamelessJames]

i love the term yolo phone. i've heard so many people getting these mint mobile sims as "burner sims" for a backup phone or for their tablets etc. and it annoys me to no end. you gave those people your routing number and social. aint no burner.

[@skatcat743]

haha social? nah most prepaid are just looking for a "postal" address to send your card & some kind of credit or debit card. Can it be linked sure but you could mitigate.

[@marcogenovesi8570]

@@skatcat743 credit/debit cards are pretty obvious ways to track down someone in a snap. It's either cash or Monero if you want real burners

[@radomane]

So you’re saying I threw all my passwords in to a river for no reason?

[@brycelynch2138]

I wish it was possible for some of us to leave work alone during Defcon... on-call shift waits for no one, and some years Defcon has turned into "Stuck in your hotel room for four days fixing something."

[@LasVegasVocalist]

This is probably one of the most valuable videos for DEFCON I've seen in a while. Thanks buddy! 3-2-1 Rule is an absolute MUST!!!

[@KateGrayCode]

Stayed at the Westin last year. Loved the construction keying on the locks.

[@guysmith1134]

There was a talk called hacking a city for fun and profit, where they were showing that logging onto a starbucks network gave away a info that could later be used to step by step find your home network and you. I am watching this video because I don't know. I worry about someone with lots of time and knowledge putting code on my phone for later use. Trying to find the center between tinfoil hat and letting someone from "windows" help me with security pack installs. Thank you for the insight.

[@hazerdoescrap]

Having been a veteran of a large anime convention held in the left armpit of hell in early summer..... SHOWERS ARE IMPORTANT. Also getting water IN you not just ON you is very important. Vegas, as I understand it, is a dryer heat than I've endured but that just means it's gonna make your ass into jerky faster.... Cleaning off the sweat helps you feel better, helps others feel better in proximity to you and NO jumping in the pool does not count.... Getting water in you is replacing what is leaving. Get a decent water bottle, keep it with you and make sure you use it.

[@syntax976-2]

that Polyam comment....... i feel seen and a bit called out! lol keep up the good work and come see me DJ on thursday night ACK stage! Thank you for all the good work you do and keep it up!

[@mdoering]

Same! That polycule comment had me 😅 the struggle is real

[@Ellington_Industrial_Arts]

​@@mdoeringme too! 😂

[@CodeDoctorJet]

As a Defcon N00b I think this is probably the best FAQ I've seen. Thank you!

[@colinstu]

Thanks for the vid! (oh and I was one of the replies to your toot). And no I'm not a boomer, but I will tell you that this line of logic is still VERY pervasive in the hackaday comments section any time there's a defcon post, hell even on reddit. I READ those comments but never thought about them really, just kinda picking stuff up passively (and thankfully never spreading it on either. having never attended how would I know?).

[@beatsbyandrew]

I expect if you are on wifi your packets will be thoroughly sniffed (in some parts of the building(s) but your cellular data is a totally separate thing legally. VPN is great advice. I think RFID risks are overblown but maybe just bring the one card you are going to use and your ID to mitigate risk.

[@JustSomeTommy]

I live in Europe and never had the chance to go to Defcon but you made it sound so fun that I might have to next year.😅

[@DeviantOllam]

Fingers crossed for you!

[@jchillerup]

You're on the better continent when it comes to hacker conventions and camps, I'd say :)

[@curtishoffmann6956]

Hmm. It'd be interesting to see a reliable youtube series on "how to assess your own threat model and what steps you can take to meet that." Or, "Are VPNs (like Nord VPN) a scam?"

[@JohnDlugosz]

They let me watch the geolocked BBC streaming service from the USA, so they are worth something. I guess "scam" is in the advertisements, promising more than it delivers.

[@DeviantOllam]

I would definitely enjoy putting a video out about VPNs

[@curtishoffmann6956]

@@DeviantOllam I think it is something that is needed. Thanks in advance, Deviant!

[@jayschafer1760]

​@@DeviantOllamGiven how many KZbinrs promote VPNs, and given that many of the same VPNs pushed by content creators have been hacked or shown to be insecure, a "What to look for in a VPN" video would be great.

[@jallen5263]

Would love to see a video on this.

[@psyberian]

100% on all of this. 31 will be I think my 6th defcon in as many years. Even that short amount of time things have changed massively (let's not bring up how much Vegas has changed). The same rule applies today as it always should apply wherever you are, don't be stupid. edit: Also, from someone that has been going to Vegas since 2007. The most important Vegas rule. Drinking in Vegas is a marathon, not a sprint. Ramp slowly, keep steady, maybe a shot every hour or two. Maybe splurge a bit, but if you get into the party shot mentality your week will be ruined. In August especially, hydrate a lot, and like our man said, stay safe.

[@morrisonghost3348]

Thank you for this, Iv never been to DEFCON but have been following it for years and hope to go, it’s good to get more constructive advice as opposed to all the noise out there

[@andrews4321]

This sounds like really solid advice for any convention

[@Rustmountain]

Lucky number 79! Sadly, not going to be at Defcon any time soon, but pre-planning dinners is going to be something I will do in future events.

[@m_ism]

I was about to comment this exact thing lol. It's actually just a great idea for any event.

[@trioptimum9027]

I'm always the least-drunk guy at the club, and I've babysat a lot of people who got drunker than they meant to. Let me give you a secret: if you drink water after every drink, you won't get a hangover. Doesn't even need to be a lot! A rocks glass of water between beers will do you fine! Just keep some water coming in and you won't dehydrate yourself too badly.

[@OmarSantos]

You rule! Amazing advice! Thank you for making this video.

[@InsiderThreats]

Glad to hear you leveling down the ground truth and debunking the myths and concerns of yesteryear. I was out pentesting this week and one of the clients mentioned BH/DC and the surrounding myths of 30K hackers hacking all the tourists' devices all week long... *YAWN*... Keep Doing You...#WellDone and #PayItForward!

[@mandc20022]

I love how you are judgement free on what "extra-curricular activities " people may partake in! Like you said whatever you do , stay safe! Love you man

[@mattmorrisonmusic4271]

bro, just in general, you specking out about helping and looking after one another, is something we all should be doing daily. thank you for your content, much love and respect, Matt Morrison.

[@jdrissel]

I wrote bogus passwords on a sticky note and left it under my keyboard when I knew a pentest was coming. I was the newest member of the team so I figured I was a high priority target. I got called it about the stickynote about a week later. It turned out that they did target my workstation and spent a lot of time trying to use those passwords but got no where. When I told them that nothing on that stickynote was ever even close to any of my real passwords (even though they were good passwords), the pen testers just groaned. They were sure I had done something like shift the passwords around or some simple (h4rac7er substitutions... LoL

[@realryleu]

"here's your chance to be today's lucky 10,000" i get the reference

[@falloutpictures]

Some of the best times of my life was at defcon and I hope to make a return sooner than later

[@TheMerryDwarf]

One of the 10,000 - wooooo!

[@aettic]

Haven't been to defcon yet, but I greatly appreciated this video. A lot of it is common sense, and pretty much all of it applies to other cons I've been to. Please, for the love all that is holy, shower.

[@gFamWeb]

These kinds of events are really interesting to me. But I often find social interaction to be difficult and I also don't drink. The Con is also very expensive. I'll probably watch from the sidelines. Maybe forever if climate change keeps making weather skyrocket. But I do hope this year goes well!

[@MultiVogon]

In a former life back in the 90's I used to attend the GDC in Santa Clara demoing our stuff. It was quite a shock for a boy from small town west country UK 😀 I very quickly learned to load up at the hotel breakfast buffet as that was probably going to be the only food 'til the evening. If I did that nowadays I'd probably need an afternoon nap 🤣

[@ErikRoberts1981]

I love Eva! She's always interesting to hang out with.

[@canadafree2087]

Thanks to those who share DEFCON talks with those of us who can't attend. Does anyone bother locking their hotel door at DEFCON? lol I'd love to see a beginner video on YOLO phones for those who don't normally use one and for those who don't want to pay for the latest iPhone and be tied to a monthly service for years.

[@johanneswerner1140]

Go to the cheap phone place downtown - not the shady one. Get a cheap phone. (or use your old phone) Factory reset. Hook up to your WiFi, install your most needed apps. Either get a second SIM card from your phone company (preferred, my friends have my phone number, sms works more reliable at conferences than anything WiFi), or get a prepaid card. Heck, you can get a prepaid card with a cheap phone as well! I used to bring my old phone when travelling internationally, with my current SIM card in it. Worked well enough. I only had my daily driver laptop, but that was a small Netbook type one - if you want to work on the plane that's the size you want! Anything bigger won't work! Do backups before you leave (do that anyway), delete stuff that you don't need, that might be sensitive personal stuff (tax stuff, contracts) etc. Enjoy the trip. That's the most important thing. Have fun. Meet interesting people, eat interesting new food, make friends, see new locations, learn new stuff.

[@frotz661]

It has been a long time since I was at Defcon, though I have been there when you were. I suppose new shenanigans have replaced driving a golf cart into the pool and sudsing the fountains. What I did with dining was that I and a couple friends would walk to the parking lot. We'd say "hi" and greet various people we ran into. "We're going to eat at XYZ. Want to come?" and we'd gather a sort of foodie conga-line to wherever. The only bad experience I had with this was when half the party ordered super-expensive stuff, I ordered cheap stuff, and someone decided that the bill should be divided evenly. Some good experiences with this included running across a favorite author or two waiting in line somewhere.

[@jaimemunoz5920]

I have always heard it as the 621 rule 6 hours of sleep each night. And yeah I always try and stay hydrated at conventions. One year I was staff at a convention and like it was a local convention so you know I just went back to my house to sleep and such. But where the convention was at that place had horrible air conditioning and I didn't drink enough water and I ended up getting a very mild case of heat exhaustion.

[@philpem]

I've found that (if the venue rules allow) having a plastic refillable water bottle is a great way to trick yourself into drinking enough. If it's any less than full and I walk past a drinking water fountain, I'll just fill the thing up. And I just keep sipping on it.

[@Lupinicus1664]

Sounds advice. Not just the '3-2-1' rule, which can be a lifesaver, but the dinner bookings... 👍

[@killernurd]

Speaking as someone who's worked first aid for a number of large conventions... 3 hours of sleep really isn't enough for an event as long as DEFCON. We always advocate for 6/2/1, but accept 5/2/1 in a pinch from our staffers. Please please please do book yourself enough time in your schedule to get at least that much sleep. And to reiterate Deviant's point, for the love of everything you hold sacred, please keep yourself hydrated. Hotels and large convention spaces are notoriously dry because of the super-beefy HVAC they run just to keep the heat load managed; in the middle of the Las Vegas heat island, in the middle of the frickin desert, it really is just that much worse. You won't even notice how fast you are dehydrating from your body trying to keep cool, and you can easily go from "fine" to "not fine" and even to "ambulance ride" in a very short span of time if you're not keeping up. ...and to borrow an old quote from Mary Schmich: "Wear sunscreen."

[@skafiend167]

I worked at Flamingo and Cromwell. We all get a heads up about Def Con. First heard about Pen Testing there (I was told by a few people I fit the personality for it), and now I'm on my way to that. Can't wait for next year's event, gonna be my first time there.

[@tomhenkel4328]

Love the key rack on the wall. Nice.

[@d3xbot]

Re: the dinner rule I’ve got a friend who occasionally needs someone to pick them up out of the funk they inevitably get into at a con (they love the con, but they always get in a funk on day one or two). This year was particularly bad. I’ve already got them scheduled for dinner next year. Pre-planning dinner is almost a must, even for small cons!

[@d3xbot]

Oh! And the cons I go to use the 621 rule - 6 hours of sleep, 2 at least half-decent meals a day, 1 shower a day. This is partially because we don’t have much post 1 AM or pre 10 AM programming and partially because “haha funney number”. And a little because MSG (e number 621) is pure flavor~

[@SkylerLinux]

WRT Work Laptop and Reporters, would be a good idea to bring. As it'll be hopefully a freshed lappy

[@azmax623]

12:45 you've described our dinner routine for all of my travels for the past 10 years. I've had to eat at McDonald's at 11:45 at night in France because all the food choices in our area are closed for the night, and there's no food at the AirBNB.

[@mills446]

Sneakers DVD in the back is great. My fav movie.

[@Gunbudder]

I remember when the bluetooth business card vulnerability was a thing. i never left the bluetooth on one my phone for a long time after that. i still turn it off when i go into the city haha. i don't need JC Penny tracking me around their store using my bluetooth. its weird!

[@redtela]

I've said for a LONG time, security is a myth. If someone wants your stuff ENOUGH, there isn't a thing that most normal folks can do to stop them taking it. The example I give is always "lets say someone wants money from your bank, one day an unknown caller calls you, the call starts with your daughter saying your name and then a muffled voice demands you empty your bank account and gives you an account number of where to send it. Tell me you don't IMMEDIATELY cave and give them it." Understand your risk profile and chill the hell out. Sure, act responsibly, but no need to lose sleep over it.

[@noahway13]

Especially from the government. If they are after YOU, it's over. Best to stay under the radar. I'm not a radical or conspiracy theorist. I just know the ropes.

[@Davvg]

I remember back in def con 2018 I saw you walk by- I wanted to say hello but it looked like you were busy! So hello, now!

[@phyphor]

I've never been at any kind of hackery event but I *have* run spod events over the past 25 years (from the days of IRC, ewtoo talkers and circle MUDs all the way up to now) and the best advice is the "Field of Dreams" style mantra of "if you build it they will come". You can't please everyone, and taking the time to plan when everyone is around is too late. If you can't do your planning in advance, and your buddy datagram is a frickin' genius to do this, then try something like set a 5 minute timer to get your plans in order to make sure that dietary requirements are listened to and then just go to where you decided. Let people know where you're going, sure, and if you can make it so people can drop in that's even more awesome (although I get the feeling that won't work for the sorts of places you're discussing here, but for a more casual affair it can work), but set your time limit, listen to requirements, and then just go. It won't please 100% of the people 100% of the time, but 95% of the time it'll please 95% of the people and the times it fails you'll have generated the goodwill from the times it works to cover any fallout. Most importantly, be friendly to people. If you're a mensch then people'll let go the times stuff goes sideways. It appears you got that angle all sorted, but it was something I needed to learn early on so I figure I should call it out.

[@ISOwren]

Yeah this advice tracks well with my experience. Kinda bummed that this year I will be priced out of Defcon. Going to redirect the money to local con's.

[@jmr]

I WANT to connect to the open network if I go! 😂 Maybe I bring a special device.

[@hessex1899]

Thanks, Deviant, for this spectacular advice. I, however, long for the days of the before fore; where the only advice for DEFCON was PUSH SHIPLEY INTO THE POOL.

[@hessex1899]

OMG I actually posted this comment before I got to your mentioning people being pushed into the pool.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

I probably learned about defcon in 2002. Wish I could've gone then. Still wish I could go now!

[@twestgard2]

The scheduled dinner thing is smart. The rest of this is kinda sad that it even needs to be said. It makes Defcon sound like a zoo populated entirely by alcoholic children. But I guess better to say it than not.

[@FulcanelliRosetta]

Good stuff to know. Soon I will get to make the pilgrimage.

[@CognitiveHeatsink]

I'm surprised you didn't mention RFID blocking wallets.

[@Hdtjdjbszh]

Is that big sphere thing near Defcon? I really hope it's close enough for shennanigans

[@WeLive2Explore]

I love how this started as don't listen to them....but don't bring your daily stuff😂

[@Chirael]

Well done, some great tips and sane talk in there 👏

[@DeviantOllam]

Thanks for enjoying it! 😁👍

[@iggymac3473]

Thanks for all your advice bro good stuff

[@doubledrats235]

Great advice to check your pee color. Not just at DEFCON but any time you pee. If it’s not clear then you aren’t drinking enough water. Passing a kidney stone is not fun. Keep hydrated.

[@crperegrine6805]

this is solid any-con advice tbh

[@barry_t]

Someday would love to buy you a drink, you've taught me too much already...but yeah, defcon is too crowded for that...I miss smaller conventions...where you could meet ALL attendees...but that's 20+ years ago...

[@jman1948]

One day ill go but now it seems like its gone way up in price and Vegas is a pain in the ass to get to from where I live.

[@glennj6465]

Enjoy your long weekend from 🇬🇧😊

[@roysnider3456]

I was in the Navy, the Navy is big on lockers from the Bosuns locker the arms locker to Davy Jones locker and so we called the shower the rain locker, as in I’m going to hit the rain locker meaning I’m going to take a shower.

[@joblessalex]

Last time I went I brought a blender and it went to full speed as soon as I hit the hotel room. Lucky I wasn't holding it with my hand near the sharp bits.

[@zachbrenner9959]

All of this defcon advise applies to furry cons as well. I just heard the 321 rule as the 621 rule

[@sketchyAnalogies]

definitely bringing up with 3 2 1 rule for IAAPA (amusement park and attractions expo)

[@RubberDino]

This sounds like something a hacker would say… How do I know I can trust you? 😂

[@UnlikelyToRemember]

"Please get enough water in you" ;)

[@RadicalEdwardStudios]

The peeing clear thing is a bit of a myth. That said, hydration is still super important. Personally, I'd recommend a minimum of a glass at the start and end of every day, plus probably a bottle of water during the con. That's in addition to booze, soda, etc. Fruit juices are ... ok~ish alternatives for a bit, here and there. And with booze, the water requirement goes up, too, as it does if you're sweaty, hot, and/or active. I find a big, reusable water bottle to be a fantastic thing, because you can have it all the time, and it makes it easy to sip here and there. That's good for day time, during the con stuff. Maybe best left at the hotel for the evening activities.

[@littlesnowflakepunk855]

i carry a 1 litre vacuum insulated water bottle everywhere i go. it doubles as a self defence weapon in a pinch :)