Communities List

Communities attending DEF CON

Our staff share experiences from across the vast spectrum of modern education: Universities, K12, Government Agencies, Continuing Education, Clubs, Sports, and so on. We will have workshops and panels to help explain the best practices for educational tech, esports, help desks, emergency preparedness, remote learning, and many more. Please come join us at the EDU Community! Our goal is to provide hands on experience over lecture learning.

It’s finally here – a proper home for all things Badgelife on the con floor! This is our first year so bear with us, but we have big goals: This year we’ll be starting an effort to create the Badgelife Museum, a collection of current and former community-made badges, including SAO’s, on display at con! Donate your own badges and SAOs you’ve made or collected to the museum, and see them come back to con year after year.. or bring what you’ve got to trade with the community via our “take-one, leave-one” SAO Trading Wall, or our in-person Badge Trading meetups! If you’re interested in making Badges or SAOs yourself, we will have lots of interesting badge creators around showing off their work and giving workshops or lightning talks on their methodologies. Come learn from the best and meet your favorite creators at our various Badgemaker Meetups! Before and after con, you can find our Discord (and what will be our upcoming online Badge Archive) at http(s)://badge.life. Closer to con we’ll post our schedule for any con workshops, talks or activities on the site as well, so check there for meetup times. Hope to see you at the community!

The BBWIC Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to empower women in the field of cybersecurity. Their goal is to provide a safe space for women in the industry to grow, build confidence, manage work stress, and evolve as leaders in the ever-changing technology landscape of cybersecurity. They believe in sparkle leadership, encouraging every woman to aim higher and achieve more. Founded in 2021 and governed under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, BBWIC Foundation actively supports women across North America, Europe, and Asia. Through mentorship, networking, and educational initiatives, we champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in the cybersecurity domain.🌟💻🔒

Given DEF CON 33’s theme of Access Everywhere, Code Breaker Village emphasizes accessibility, inclusivity, and security in codebreaking which coincides with a fun challenge and a pool party.

The Cryptocurrency Community welcomes you to discover and develop your blockchain finance technology hacking skills. Learn the unique ways that cryptocurrency systems are attacked, defended, and secured while building new applications using testnet tokens. Meet hackers, be entertained, and get inspired to explore cryptocurrency where practical finance hacking for the public good is encouraged.

Our mission prioritizes education of computing enthusiasts curious about the hype of cryptocurrency and our community discusses the challenges facing modern day finance technology. Workshops and challenges offer you the experience of mentored participation in a well equipped and comfortable environment. The community inclusively welcomes all cryptocurrency projects and their cousins from other blockchain based communities. Come hack with us!

The DC Maker’s Community is the place where design, electronics, arts, crafts, software, and engineering all intersect. We serve as a home for ALL hackers and makers – providing tools, demos, talks and workshops (from makers like those in the Badgelife community), as well as exhibit space for highlighting current and past creations from some of your favorite DEF CON makers.

DC NextGen’s mission is to empower the Next Generation of young hackers by creating an environment where hands on discoveries can reveal new and unexpected ways of thinking about security and technology. Here you will learn and test out real hacking skills while meeting like-minded people your age. Let’s explore and change the world together, one network at a time.

DC NextGen has a ton of awesome content planned for the youth hackers! You can find us in Hacker Tracker and online at dcnextgen.org.

DDoS attacks aren’t just theory—they’re an everyday grind for defenders. While the tech world throws around buzzwords and papers, we’re here to talk real-world war stories, hands-on mitigation, and what actually works when the bits hit the fan.

The DDoS Community at DEF CON is where defenders unite—through talks, workshops, and contests that dive into evolving threats, busted botnets, and the clever tricks that keep services online.

We’re not just about packets and filtering. We hit the business, legal, and strategic angles too—because the impact of DDoS goes way beyond the edge router.

Come hang out, level up your defense game, and swap notes with folks who’ve been in the trenches. Whether you’re a blue-teamer, researcher, or just DDoS-curious, there’s a place for you here

Through this Community, attendees will be invited to learn about Capture the Flag competitions and try their hands at challenges hosted on the pwn.college platform. They will have the opportunity to learn fundamental hacking skills, including Linux basics, binary exploitation, reverse engineering, and web security, all while progressing through exercises designed to build expertise. With on-site mentorship from experienced hackers and top CTF players, attendees can receive guidance, troubleshoot challenges, and gain insights into real-world security problems. Beyond the technical learning, the event offers a chance to connect with like-minded individuals and engage with the broader cybersecurity community. Whether a beginner or an experienced player, attendees can expect an interactive, educational, and engaging experience tailored to developing practical hacking skills.

DEF CON is a favorite island of misfit toys. Finding your people is something many people struggle to do in their lifetime. But when you do find DEF CON, you want to take it home with you. DEF CON Groups is the cure to the Con Blues and the conversations, resources, and support that the DEF CON Groups Community at DEF CON provides encourages the creation of new groups, connecting Humans with their local groups, and reinvigorates existing groups with a community space that allows for a chill room vibe and fun atmosphere. We invite POCs and Group Participants to join in conversation, collaboration, trading group related stories, and of course, stickers and laughs as well.

DEF CON Groups VR (DCGVR) addresses barriers preventing some hackers from attending the conference in person. Since DEF CON 28, DCGVR has offered an immersive virtual experience, allowing participants to socialize, present, and engage in panels, imitating the atmosphere of the physical event. Through VR technology, DCGVR fosters inclusivity, enabling global collaboration and contribution to the DEF CON community.

We know DEF CON and Vegas can be a lot. If you’re a friend of Bill W who’s looking for a meeting or just a place to collect yourself, DEF CON 32 has you covered. Join us throughout the conference in the Friends of Bill W Community Space in room W301.

A place for people with disabilities to hear talks aimed at hacking disabilities / gear / specific topics on security and safety. To have a place to recharge assistance devices, get assistance with disability issues, to have a safe space to retreat should things get to be too much, to form community bonds with other hackers with disabilities and to be an educational outreach and support system showing that just because you have a disability you can still be a hacker and part of the community. Also a break area for service animals, and people with sensory issues.

We intend to do some short lightning talks from members of the town and friends of town, which will double as a casual get together also with a loRa/Meshtastic clinic\workshop to get everyone working with their radios. This supports our objective of understanding, experimenting, and promoting the use cases for distributed networks.

Mesh the planet!

Ever see someone walking around DEF CON and wonder “what is up with the hard hats?” The Hard Hat Brigade brings hackers together in the spirit of endless curiosity and tinkering. We use a common platform (hats) to combine art (bling) and hacker functionality (warez) to inspire others to explore outside of their comfort zones in a safe and welcoming community. We encourage everyone to explore their creativity using art, electronics, mechanical design, or any other medium that piques their interest. Hats are inexpensive, widely available, and easy to modify to suit your needs. We started with hard hats but are not limited to any type of hat, so you have the freedom to choose whatever hat suits your fancy. Despite everyone using a common platform, every creation is unique and embodies the personality of the creator. Walking around DEF CON, you can display your creation for all to see, and many will stop to ask you about what you have created. This allows you to talk about your experience, as well as inspire others to explore new ideas of their own. One of the challenges at hacker summer camp has been finding people to connect with. By leveraging hard hats as a canvas, HHB has solved this challenge with something that is incredibly accessible while also offering a ton of variety. Gazing upon these creations, they reflect back the uniqueness of all the awesome hackers that we’ve been able to meet. In years past, we’ve had the opportunity to see how so many talented and creative hackers tackle the challenge of using the venerable hard hat as their muse. Just as fun, charming and skilled as so many attendees are, the hard hat has been a great vessel to carry their awesome projects. Make your trip memorable by trying on a hat, learning and sharing building techniques, networking with other hat loving hackers, and expressing yourself in your own hacker way. Keep on hacking!

Humans of DEFCON, welcome to IllumiCon – a place for lasers, LEDs, and all things blinky!

For our inauguration year; we want everyone to experience lasers, addressable LEDs, and some of the myriad ways you can use them.

Have you ever wanted to perform a laser show in front of thousands of people? Stop by IllumiCon to learn how to program a laser show, play with beautiful special effects, or shoot lasers around LVCC!

Have you ever wondered how people make awesome LED clothing, hard hats, or holiday displays? We will teach you what hardware and software can be used to set up a display along with tips and tricks to make it your own. Now is your chance to learn something new with demos and hands-on interactions with equipment usually only operated by a select few.

Stop by the IllumiCon community to show off your handiwork! Bring your creations for all to see.

Knowledge will refract, minds will reflect; and through the prism of newly-discovered purpose, the future will shine bright. Remember, when times are dark: Hackers light the way!

Bienvenidos a La Villa at DEF CON—where the pulse of Spanish and Portuguese cybersecurity beats loud and proud! Attendees can dive into a vibrant showcase of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking talent, featuring electrifying talks on cutting-edge hacking techniques, hands-on workshops to sharpen your skills, and creative showcases that blend culture with code. Expect to learn from top-tier Latino hackers as they unveil innovative exploits, share insider knowledge, and spark collaboration—all in Español and Português. Participate in networking sessions that connect you with a passionate community, or join the stage to pitch your groundbreaking ideas. La Villa isn’t just a space—it’s a launchpad for Hispanic and “Bienvenidos a La Villa at DEF CON—where the pulse of Spanish and Portuguese cybersecurity beats loud and proud! Attendees can dive into a vibrant showcase of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking talent, featuring electrifying talks on cutting-edge hacking techniques, hands-on workshops to sharpen your skills, and creative showcases that blend culture with code. Expect to learn from top-tier Latino hackers as they unveil innovative exploits, share insider knowledge, and spark collaboration—all in Español and Português. Participate in networking sessions that connect you with a passionate community, or join the stage to pitch your groundbreaking ideas. La Villa isn’t just a space—it’s a launchpad for Hispanic and Portuguese speakers’ brilliance, proving that talent knows no borders. Get ready to hack, connect, and shine!” brilliance, proving that talent knows no borders. Get ready to hack, connect, and shine!

Lonely Hackers Club is a group to help people navigate their first DEF CON and other conferences as well as helping people break into the field. We have a lot of people who are from all sorts of fields who can help people based on what they want to do for a career. We welcome everyone into the community and support everyone who needs/wants help.

“Loong Community,” founded by the creator of DEF CON’s iconic **Chipoff Village** and **Variety Exploitation Village**, returns to continue its legacy of blending hardware hacking rigor with cultural storytelling. This year’s iteration draws inspiration from the loong (Chinese dragon), symbolizing power, wisdom, and transformation, while honoring a decade of pioneering work in chip forensics, firmware exploitation, and adversarial hardware design.

At the Mobile Hacking Village, attendees will learn about the latest trends in mobile application security through hands-on experiences, including topics such as bypassing security mechanisms and hardening techniques like SSL pinning, and exploiting known CVEs.

Additionally, attendees will engage in a competitive process by participating in an onsite CTF (Capture the Flag) event to test their skills, face new challenges, and learn new skills.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to watch cutting-edge research presentations and case studies on various topics within the domain.

Our Village will further engage users through small demonstrations to familiarize them with the parts of mobile devices using disassembled devices, and other interesting aspects.

Mass rebuilding the digital commons from scratch since 2003! Welcome to the first of what we hope is many Nix community events at DEF CON. The Southern California Nix User Group presents Nix Vegas #1, AKA Viva Nix Vegas! Nix is a declarative code as configuration ecosystem that makes it trivial to spin up VMs, containers, and isolated shell and build environments for anything. Everyone is welcome regardless of identity, background, or experience level! If you’re a newbie or Nix expert or anything in between, come to the Nix Community to expand your knowledge of repeatably deployable software. Learn from the experts, and take your newfound knowledge back to your hobby or career and be able to teach others.

Be the Match is returning to DefCon for its 12th year, to run a registry drive for the National Marrow Donor program! Swing by and check out one of the coolest biohacks out there, and how you could be the next person to save a life!

We’re here to tear down the barriers that make cybersecurity feel intimidating. Whether you’re brand new, pivoting from another career, or just curious, the Noob Community creates welcoming, hands-on spaces to explore hacking, ask questions, and connect with others starting their journey. No gatekeeping. Just learning, support, and a place to belong.

The OS Community is the perfect destination for anyone passionate about the building blocks of hacking: operating systems. This community isn’t just about what’s under the hood; it’s about cracking it open, rethinking it, and optimizing it for innovation. Attendees will experience an interactive hub where they can dive into OS development, discover open-source platforms, and learn how operating systems can be tailored for security, performance, and creative hacking.

OWASP, the Open Worldwide Application Security Project, is an open source steward of tools, documents, and resources all underpinned by our community. People are the fabric that composes the OWASP community from developers, security pros, hobbyists, students & hackers and we are eager to welcome all at DEFCON 33.

Queercon’s mission is to raise awareness and promote acceptance of LGBTQIA+ individuals in the IT and infosec industries. We create space for queer people to meet, engage, and network through our badges, puzzle challenges, and meet-up events – all designed to help queer people find community where they are not alone. The Queercon Community Lounge is a place to find community anew, or return to familiar faces. Keep an eye on Hacker Tracker or queercon.org for our schedule of meetups and challenges!

The Retro Tech Community is back! We’re here for our 2nd year to celebrate where we came from, how computers and technology of yesteryear shaped our lives, and to show how the first generations of computers still have an impact on and a place in today’s world. Rather than a stuffy collection of museum exhibits you can’t touch or breathe on, our goal is to be fully interactive! We encourage the Defcon community to take part by bringing in working examples of old (or new but retro-inspired) technology to display, demonstrate, be passionate about, teach lessons on, and allow those who visit us to goof around with. We love to see people indulge their inner nostalgia nerd. Bring us your tired capacitors, your scratched cases, your huddled masses of cartridges and expansion cards yearning to see voltage again, the wretched refuse of your teeming e-waste pile, bring these the tempest-tost to us, we lift our 20A 120V circuits beside the golden door! Walk-ins are welcome to long as you have a plan to store or bring it back home should we be out of display room 🙂 Broken items are welcome as well – come start an impromptu repair party! We’re confident that smart and inquiring minds will be around to help you solve issues, and we’ll lend equipment where we can. Bring and show off your rare and weird vintage machines or retro consoles, or disks and cartridges of your favorite childhood games! All circuits are welcome here. Note: Due to staffing limitations, hours may fluctuate, but we will do our best to stay open for as much of con as we can. If you miss us, check back soon! If you wish to support our efforts, display something, or donate hardware, please coordinate with reanimationxp (at) gmail.com, subject “Retro Tech Community”!

Diana Initiative is excited to offer up a “Quiet Room”. This room is a library vibes environment where people can calm down or recharge before going back out to experience more DEF CON, or even safely have a meltdown, stim, and take time to recenter. In our library area we will have fidget toys, coloring pages and more. In our collaborative area we will be hosting birds of a feather conversations, small round table discussions, and more.

Our reference desk can help you come up with a plan before going back out into DEF CON, if you would like. The reference desk will work to find and connect you with the amazing events and communities at the conference, as well as in the community at large, that are best suited to your interests.

Finally, for those who find it hard to dive into something new alone, we will be offering small tour groups to take people around to various villages, contests and communities.

Co-founded in 2018 by Jim McMurry and William Kimble, the founders of ThreatHunter.ai and Cyber Defense Technologies, respectively, the VETCON conference is the official Veteran event of the DEF CON Hacker Conference. VETCON, through its Discord server and in person events, connects and supports veterans in the Information Security field. The event is open to all DEFCON attendees with a focus on military veterans. VETCON is a networking event where attendees will be able to relax, play fun military and cybersecurity related games, network, and connect with other Veterans in the Infosec field.

VETCON Is a Conference for Veterans, Run by Veterans, During the Largest Hacker Conference, DEF CON.

Women in Security and Privacy (WISP)’s mission is to advance women and underrepresented communities to lead the future of privacy and security. We accomplish this by providing women and underrepresented communities with opportunities for technical and professional development through events, trainings, conferences, scholarships, mentoring, and job search. WISP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.