If you grew up in the US, chances are you have a memory of going to summer camp. Even if you didn’t attend one yourself, the camp experience of going away from home, learning all sorts of arts and crafts, meeting new best friends, and going on memorable adventures is baked into pop culture and media. Every August, the largest hacker summer camp on earth takes place in the heat of Las Vegas. This year marked the thirty-second iteration of DEF CON.
DEF CON can be hard to explain without experiencing it. Yes, there are speaking tracks, official workshops, and multiple capture-the-flags (CTFs), but there is so much more. No other conference contains so many sub-conferences and community-led events. Even attendees who have been going for years say they still don’t think they have experienced everything on offer.
