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DEF CON’s Origins and What It Became
DEF CON started in 1993 when an 18-year-old known as The Dark Tangent threw a farewell party for a friend leaving his bulletin board system group. One planned gathering in Las Vegas grew into the world’s largest hacker conference, now drawing over 30,000 attendees. Panelists described it as a community reunion, a place to test skills against peers, and for many introverts, a rare social recharge. One 26-year veteran called it his social charging port.
The Staff and Goons Who Run It
Just below The Dark Tangent sits DEF CON HQ staff, who coordinate the conference year-round. Below them are goons, volunteers in red shirts with name patches and unique handle identifiers on their badges. Goons handle logistics, answer questions, and help attendees in distress. Anyone can become one. Multiple panelists are current goons, motivated by giving back to a community that shaped their careers. Nina Alli, who has run the Biohacking Village for 10 years, joined as a goon this year for the first time.
Villages, Communities, and Navigating the Content
DEF CON runs dozens of villages and over 30 communities. Villages focus on a specific technical domain, like the Biohacking Village’s five labs covering healthcare and cybersecurity intersections. Communities gather attendees who share something in common, offering tour groups, quiet rooms with fidget toys and earplugs, and discussion spaces. Diana Initiative runs village tours every half-hour, departing from the main south entrance with a guide who knows as little as attendees. For first-timers, panelists recommend sampling widely in year one and focusing in year two.
Physical Survival at the Con
The old DEF CON survival rule was 3-2-1: 3 hours sleep, 2 meals, 1 shower. Panelists updated it. Target 6 hours of sleep, 6 pints of water per day, and 3 meals with actual protein. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Vegas heat will spike step counts. Wear shoes you have broken in. Masks remain welcome and cut down on what one veteran called concret, a respiratory illness that follows the unmasked through DEF CON. Diana Initiative also provides free COVID test kits.
Code of Conduct and Safety Resources
Be excellent to each other is the core of DEF CON’s code of conduct. Ask before photographing anyone. One exception: if a goon behaves badly, photograph their badge. Every goon wears a unique handle on their patch, which is the identifier needed for a complaint. If you need help, goons are scattered throughout LVCC. For a mental health crisis, the DEF CON hotline number is posted on cards in most restrooms. Stickers go on designated sticker walls only, not on LVCC property.
Q&A
Which sessions are recorded? Main tracks and creator stages are recorded. For village talks, ask the village directly or a goon at that location. ▶ 27:08
How do I join a village tour? In Hacker Tracker, find Diana Initiative and filter to miscellaneous. Every 30 minutes a guide with a stick waits at the main south entrance and leads a group to one village. ▶ 29:24
Will more badges arrive? A shipment is expected but no delivery time is confirmed. Watch DEF CON’s official social media for the announcement. ▶ 30:42
Notable Quotes
I think Defcon’s really just a community. zziks · ▶ 3:27
Don’t be afraid to talk. zziks · ▶ 25:05
all of us still feel like noobs. Nicole “CircuitSwan” Schwartz · ▶ 25:10
Key Takeaways
- DEF CON grew from a 1993 farewell party into a 30,000-attendee annual event.
- Goons in red shirts are volunteers, each identified by a unique handle on their badge.
- Villages run 360 days of planning for 3 days of focused, industry-specific content.
About the Speaker(s)
Alethe Denis is the second lead for the DEF CON Groups department.
Nikita Kronenberg works to ensure DEF CON runs as smoothly as a hacker convention can. She coordinates an extensive array of logistics before and during the event and previously served as Director of Content for the CFP Review Board.
Nicole Schwartz, known as CircuitSwan, speaks on Information Security, DevSecOps, Software Supply Chain Security, Agile, Diversity and Inclusion, and Women in Technology. She is the Senior Security Product Manager at ActiveState, Chair of the Board for the Diana Initiative 501(c)3, Director of BSides Edmonton Information Security Foundation, and an organizer of SkyTalks village at BSidesLV.
Nina Alli is a cybersecurity and regulatory strategist whose work bridges medical technology, public policy, and grassroots security research. She has served as Executive Director of the Biohacking Village for a decade, a community that explores healthcare and cybersecurity intersections through hands-on engagement and public education. With over 16 years of experience across biotechnology, biomedical engineering, and security, she focuses on modernizing legacy systems in healthcare and improving electronic health record integration.