DEF CON Communities List

A space for the .EDU Community at DEF CON, come learn about the challenges around security our education sector, the .EDU Community caters to the k12 – University sector and those responsible for security in this space.

CodeBloom is a nonprofit on a mission to democratize tech for underserved and underrepresented communities, because every seed of potential deserves the right conditions to grow!

At DEF CON, our community space is where seeds of curiosity take hold and ideas start to sprout. Throughout the day, we break down a coding concept through hands-on games like musical chairs, duck duck goose, and activities where learning blooms disguised as fun! Between rounds, stick around for crafts that help the lesson stick and give you something to take home. We’ll also host special talks on AI and other big ideas for those ready to grow beyond the basics.

Whether you’re 8 or 80, a seasoned hacker or a fresh seedling just finding your way, you belong here. Come play, create, learn, and put down roots in a community that believes tech education should be joyful, accessible, and lifelong!

DCNextGen’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.

DCNextGen is DEF CON’s official youth initiative, providing participants ages 18 and under with hands-on classes, workshops, talks, and events focused on ethical hacking and relevant cybersecurity skills. Through our electronic badge Capture the Flag (CTF) contest, youth tackle challenges across conference villages, gaining both points and confidence along the way.

DCNextGen also offers one of a kind experiences including meeting legendary hackers, attending tech-themed parties and events, and collaborating with like-minded peers from around the world. No prior technical experience is required — participants can learn entirely new skills or sharpen the ones they already have in a supportive, engaging environment.

Lets explore and change the world together, one network at a time.

Through this Community, attendees will dive straight into the world of Capture the Flag (CTF) hacking, taking on challenges hosted on the pwn.college platform. Expect hands-on puzzles that build real skill: navigating Linux, exploiting binaries, reversing code, and breaking web apps to see how they work under the hood.

You won’t be hacking alone. Experienced hackers and top CTF players will be on-site to help you think like an attacker, troubleshoot when you’re stuck, and share the tricks they use in real-world security work.

Beyond the challenges, it’s all about the hacker mindset: collaborating, experimenting, and celebrating those breakthrough moments. Whether you’re just getting started or already deep in CTFs, you’ll sharpen your skills, meet your people, and leave ready for the next challenge.

DEF CON Groups are the year round, local communities that bring the DEF CON spirit home. Run by volunteers around the world, DCGs create spaces where hackers meet, learn, collaborate, and build community outside of conference season.

The DEF CON Groups community space brings together Points of Contact, members, and prospective members to collaborate, share ideas, and learn from one another. Through informal workshops and hands on interaction, participants exchange practical lessons on building, sustaining, and evolving local hacker communities.

The space also serves as a social anchor. A relaxed place to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and participate in light interactive activities that reflect the collaborative nature of hacking culture.

DEF CON has always been the island of misfit toys we all return to once a year. DEF CON Groups are how that ethos survives the other fifty one weeks.

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.

Hackers with Disabilities is a focus point for making DEF CON more accessible to those with different levels of abilities. We’ve helped to pioneer various accessibility tweaks throughout the year and have even published accessibility guides for those who need the help and advice. We also offer ourselves as a “entry point” to interface with DEF CON leadership if you have accessibility issues or concerns, and a safe landing space for those with sensory processing issues or who are just “overwhelmed” with Con Life.

All are welcome to come by, say hello, and see what we do and how, and maybe make your con experience more accessible too!

Hackers.town is a community of hackers, artists, and tech professionals who take on restore the future. We will be showcasing progress on those projects as well as helping others to get theirs started. We believe in the power of communities to change the world, and invite you to believe with us.

The Hard Hat Brigade brings hackers together in the spirit of endless curiosity and tinkering. Using a common platform (hats) we combine bling and wares to inspire others to explore outside of their comfort zones in a safe and welcoming community.

We encourage hackers to explore their creativity using art, electronics, mechanical design, or any other medium that piques their interest. All of us have experienced working on a project that never leaves the workbench. Oftentimes it’s because you have no way to display it, or nobody to display it to. HHB solves both of these challenges using hats as a blank canvas for creativity. They are inexpensive, widely available, and easy to modify to suit your needs with simple hand tools. Despite everyone using a common platform, every creation is unique and embodies the personality of the creator. Walking around 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 engaging others. HHB has solved the 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. Every hat has been exemplary! Just as fun, charming and skilled as so many attendees are, the hat has been a great vessel to carry their awesome projects.

We are committed to continue encouraging others to join the Hard Hat Brigade to promote a community that connects, creates, shares, and are still interested in hacking things ‘just because’.

Primordial humans of DEF CON, welcome to IllumiCon. We are emissaries of the Radiance Generation Bureau (RGB) and we have gathered you here beneath your primitive neon signs, mundane clothing, and crude LEDs to bask in the glow of our luminous glory. 

From laser projectors to fiber optics, electroluminescent wire to addressable LEDs—this is not mere spectacle but the evolution of your species through illumination. You cannot resist the allure of the visible electromagnetic spectrum.

Circuits shall blaze, photons shall dance, and hacks unimagined will be exposed by the sharp edge of coherent light; all will be revealed in the IllumiCon Community. We will show you the hardware and software to create your own holiday displays and clothing befitting the Bureau. We can even show you how to impress others of your species with fanciful shows of lights and lasers if you wish. The Bureau shall also demonstrate novel ideas for electroluminescent (EL) wire and fiber optic strands, bending captive starlight into raiment and radiant constructs. Put in terms humans may understand, you will learn something new with our demos and hands-on activities for each and every one of these.

It is only right therefore, as the hackers and makers of your world, that you represent your species with your best builds and ideas by bringing them to the IllumiCon Community for the Bureau to evaluate. Or, if you simply wish for admiration, show your fellow humans your blinky contraptions.

Be the hacker that you are: treat every task like it has an attack surface and use the squishy matter in your head to find the solution. Knowledge will refract, minds will reflect; and through the prism of newly-discovered purpose, the future will shine bright. Proceed if you dare to become better, squishy mortals. And when times are dark, remember: Hackers light the way.

Step into La Villa Hacker and discover where the soul of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking cybersecurity world makes its home at DEF CON. We are more than just a space; we are a launchpad built by and for our community. Our mission is simple: to create a welcoming home where every Spanish and Portuguese speaker can express their ideas, share their research, and unite under one roof to celebrate what drives us—creativity, hacking, and security.

Why step into La Villa?

Because talent has no borders, but it does have a language and a culture. Here, you’ll experience a powerful concentration of creativity, technical skill, and passion from the entire Lusophone and Hispanosphere. We provide the stage for voices that are shaping the future of hacking, all while fostering the connections that turn attendees into lifelong collaborators.

What awaits you inside?

Charlas (Talks): Move beyond the language barrier. La Villa is your dedicated platform to showcase your talent en Español y Portugués. Expect electrifying talks that unveil cutting-edge research, innovative exploits, and insider knowledge from top-tier Latino and Portuguese hackers.

Networking: Connect with other hackers like you. Forge new friendships, find mentors, and build your professional network in a relaxed, familiar environment. This is where you find your crew.

Creatividad (Creativity): Witness how culture and cunning collide. See unique projects and creative showcases that highlight the distinct perspectives our community brings to global hacking conferences.

Workshops: Sharpen your skills in hands-on workshops led by experts, designed to give you practical knowledge you can apply immediately.

Special Events: Join focused gatherings like our women-only panel, piñatas, sweets from each country, and the LATAM cybersecurity museum, creating space for everyone in our community to connect and thrive.

Get ready to hack, connect, and shine. Come to La Villa Hacker not just to attend DEF CON, but to own your place in it. Whether you’re presenting groundbreaking research, looking for your next collaborator, or simply wanting to speak your language, tu casa te espera (your home awaits you).

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.

The Loong Community returns to DEF CON 34 as one of the premier hardware-oriented hacking playgrounds, building on its acclaimed presence at DEF CON 33. Co-hosted by passionate crews from Hong Kong and Singapore, this interactive space invites attendees to dive into hands-on, free-to-play experiences across diverse physical security and embedded domains.

Participants can engage directly with CanBus automotive networks, experiment with satellite signal interception and analysis, explore RFID cloning and relay attacks, manipulate RF protocols using software-defined radio tools, and perform advanced chip-off forensics on real hardware—all in a welcoming, collaborative environment designed for beginners and experts alike.

True to its heritage—rooted in the legacy of DEF CON’s iconic Chipoff and Variety Exploitation Villages—the Loong Community blends rigorous hardware hacking with vibrant cultural storytelling. This year’s setup features a striking traditional Chinese dragon sprite motif, symbolizing power, wisdom, and transformation in the infosec realm.

Whether you’re reverse-engineering firmware, side-channeling signals, or simply tinkering with cutting-edge tools, Loong Community offers an open, inclusive playground to level up your hardware hacking skills amid the energy of DEF CON 34. Join us to unlock new techniques, share knowledge, and celebrate the art of adversarial hardware exploration.

The DEF CON Memorial Chamber serves as a sacred space within our community — a place where we pause to honor those hackers whose brilliance and dedication have elevated not just our craft, but the entire security ecosystem. Here we remember figures whose generous spirit and willingness to coordinate security fixes demonstrated that true hacking greatness lies in collaboration. We are here because DEF CON has been the beating heart of the hacker community for over three decades, growing from 100 people in 1993 to the world’s largest hacker conference. As Jeff Moss envisioned, DEF CON is what we make of it, this memorial space represents our commitment to ensuring that the legacy of those we’ve lost continues to inspire future generations of hackers to pursue knowledge, build community, and use their gifts to make the world better.

MEACS is a community space dedicated to connecting cybersecurity researchers, engineers, students, and independent hackers from the Middle East and Africa with the broader global security ecosystem at DEF CON. Our mission is to amplify technical voices from the region, encourage collaboration across borders, and create a consistent space for learning, mentorship, and research exchange.

Cybersecurity talent across the Middle East and Africa is growing quickly, spanning offensive research, defensive engineering, threat intelligence, cloud security, mobile security, and critical infrastructure protection. Yet many practitioners from these communities remain underrepresented at major global conferences. MEACS provides a hacker-focused environment where their work, ideas, and experiences can be shared directly with the DEF CON community.

Attendees can expect technical discussions centered on real-world security challenges and research. This includes vulnerability discovery, exploitation techniques, defensive architecture, threat analysis, secure system design, bug bounty experiences, and lessons learned from operating in rapidly evolving digital environments. The space may include lightning talks, collaborative discussions, open research conversations, and structured networking designed to spark long-term collaboration.

MEACS relates directly to hacking because it is rooted in curiosity, experimentation, responsible disclosure, and technical knowledge sharing. It reflects core hacker values: understanding how systems work, challenging assumptions, improving security through transparency, and learning through hands-on engagement. The group is not about identity alone. It is about building technical community around shared security interests and research.

Participants will be able to:

Share and discuss security research

Connect with peers across the MEA region and globally

Form collaborations for projects, CTF teams, and open source initiatives

Explore offensive and defensive security career paths

Engage in conversations about regional threat landscapes and defenses

Build lasting professional relationships within the DEF CON ecosystem

MEACS contributes a new perspective to DEF CON by expanding global participation in technical security discussions while remaining fully aligned with the conference’s hacker ethos. It strengthens cross-regional collaboration, increases visibility for independent researchers, and helps cultivate the next generation of security contributors from the Middle East and Africa.

Our goal is to build a sustainable community presence that extends beyond the event and continues fostering collaboration, research visibility, and technical growth year after year.

At the Mobile Hacking Community, 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, 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.

Dedicated real devices running vulnerable applications will be available, allowing attendees to actively practice exploitation and analysis in a realistic environment.

Prerequisites

• Attendees should bring their own laptop in order to fully participate in the hands-on workshops and CTF challenges.
• A basic familiarity with using a command line, installing software, and general computing concepts is recommended, but prior mobile security experience is not required.

The National Marrow Donor Program (Formally “Be the Match”) is returning to DEF CON! A fixture at DEF CON since 2010, the NMDP operates the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world. For patients with life-threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma or other life-threatening diseases, a cure exists – a blood stem cell transplant. NMDP leads the fight to advance the science of transplant, support patients at every step of their journey, and empower people to give the greatest gift of all – the gift of life. Still, many patients can’t find a match, so please visit our booth, become a member of the registry, and participate in one of the coolest biohacks around!

Nix Vegas is a group of Nix users and developers who are passionate about the obscure side of Nix. Whether that’s using nixpkgs, the largest Linux package set in the world, to pop insecure hardware and software or using Nix’s reproducible builds in supply chain security, come to learn about the quiet revolution that’s reshaping software, find your own place in it, and maybe even grab a closure of some tools you’re looking for along the way.

Prerequisites

• Laptop or other computing device is highly recommended.

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,

The OSINT for Good Community, sponsored by Trace Labs (a Canadian non-profit) will introduce you to concepts behind using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) to support humanitarian causes. More then just “snooping around on the Internet”, organized OSINT activities can help find missing people, develop and share information about disasters and humanitarian crises, and a support a variety of other causes. We’ll share tools and techniques, talk about ethical practices, help you use the tools, and point you to organizations where you can put your people hacking skills to use for the greater good. If you register (for free), you can even use our space to participate in a Trace Labs Global OSINT Search Party CTF on Saturday. Everyone is welcome, whether you have OSINT experience or not!

OWASP, the Open Worldwide Application Security Project, is an open source steward of tools, documentation projects, and resources all developed by our community. Our community is represented globally with 350+ chapters and thousdands of volunteers worldwide. 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 34.

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!

Are you overwhelmed by DEF CON and need a quiet place? Come hang out in our quiet room with fidgets and other helpful decompression toys.

Whether you are overwhelmed by the options or the space itself, we aim to offer a place to get yourself back together.

No talks, no workshops, just calm and quiet.

The Retro Tech Community is here to celebrate where we came from, how computers and technology shaped our lives, and how even the most simple of computers still have an impact today this many years later. Rather than have a carefully curated collection of museum exhibits you can’t touch or breathe on/around our goal is to empower the community in general to bring in working examples of old (or new but inspired by old) tech to display, demonstrate, be passionate about, teach lessons on, and for all those who visit us to hack on and goof around with. We do ask if you bring something to show off and/or display that you must also bring it home with you. If it’s broken we will have a repair area set up and we shall do the best we can with it!

Hackers have broken browsers.

Hackers have broken cars.

Now we’re hacking robots.

Welcome to the Robotic Hacking Community.

Robots are rapidly moving into the real world, from factories and hospitals to warehouses and homes.

They see. They move. They make decisions. But can they be hacked?

Autonomous robots and physical AI systems represent one of the newest attack surfaces in security. Unlike traditional systems, a compromised robot does more than leak data. It can pick up the wrong object, move into the wrong space, or act against the people it was built to serve.

The security community has only begun to explore how these machines can be hacked. That is exactly why the Robotic Hacking Community exists.

Organized by the researchers behind VicOne LAB R7, the community brings a hacker mindset to robotic systems where vulnerabilities can have real-world physical consequences.

Robots are stacks of hardware, firmware, sensors, AI models, networks, and cloud services. Every layer is an attack surface.

## What you’ll find at RHC

• Talks & Research – Original research and live demonstrations exploring vulnerabilities in robotic platforms, ROS2 middleware, firmware, sensors, and AI systems. Real bugs. Real machines. Real impact.
• Robotic CTF – Capture the Flag challenges built around real robotic attack scenarios. If you’ve never hacked a robot before, this is your chance.
• Physical AI Game – Team-based challenges where participants exploit, defend, and demonstrate attacks against physical AI systems in a controlled environment.
• Physical AI Hacking 101 – A beginner-friendly hands-on hacking playground. No robotics experience required.

## What you’ll learn

• How robots get hacked. From sensor spoofing and adversarial manipulation of AI decision logic to firmware exploitation and supply chain weaknesses.
• You’ll also explore how cybersecurity and safety collide when the target can move, interact with people, and affect the physical world.
• Robots are leaving the lab and entering everyday life.
• Hackers should be there too.
• Come hack a robot. Help make them safer.

## Prerequisites Required (bring your own) – Laptop (any OS — Windows, macOS, or Linux)

## Provided on-site
– All robotic hardware, physical AI platforms, tools, and lab equipment will be provided by the community. Attendees do not need to bring any specialized devices or hardware.

## Recommended knowledge (helpful but not required) – Basic familiarity with Linux command line – Some experience with networking or security concepts – Curiosity about robotics or AI systems is all you really need for the 101 track

No prior robotics or hardware hacking experience is necessary to participate. All skill levels are welcome.

We are seeking to let people collaborate and discuss things they run into because of who they are. These are done in birds of a feather informal conversation format. We will again have notetakers making non attributed notes during these conversions with key take aways so you can check the board if you miss the discussion. In addition there will be a few interactive workshop sessions available during the event.

Based on your feedback half the time our area will be unstructured, making more room for spontaneous discussions and collaborations.

Our reference desk can help you come up with a plan before going back out into DEF CON. 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. We’re specifically working with some of the other communities, contests and villages to be able to recommend great things for you to do if you are unsure about what you want to do.

Finally, for those who find it hard to dive into something new alone, we will have tour guides leading people from the main lobby to various locations throughout the day if you need inspiration on where to start or what to do next, follow us!

We are the intersection of military service and the hacker community. Active duty, veterans, and military families who live and breathe security, not as a career pivot, but as a natural extension of how they already think. Mission-focused. Threat-aware. No nonsense.

What makes VETCON different at DEF CON is the people in the room. These are operators, intelligence analysts, communications specialists, and cyber warriors who have done real work in high-stakes environments. The hacker mindset and the military mindset are the same mindset. You find the gap, you exploit it, you report it, you fix it. VETCON is where those two worlds stop pretending they’re separate.

Attendees can expect panels and talks from veterans and active duty members working at the edge of offensive security, threat intelligence, and critical infrastructure defense. Real practitioners. Real problems. No vendor theater.

What will you learn? Depends on what you bring. If you’re a veteran trying to break into security, you’ll find your people and a clear path forward. If you’re a civilian hacker, you’ll get a perspective on how security works at scale, under pressure, with actual consequences. If you’re active duty, you’ll see what the community looks like from the outside and why it matters.

Women in Security and Privacy (WISP) provides a safe space for women and underrepresented community members to connect, relax, engage, learn, and re-energize. Attendees can expect a supportive environment in which all are safe and welcomed.

We offer arts and crafts activities including friendship bracelet making and coloring. Our space is available for connecting, networking, and meeting fellow attendees as well as spaces that are created for individuals to take a time out and rest. Our events are designed to connect attendees to others who are also underrepresented so they can build a supportive network and team of fellow attendees.