Congratulations, you are going to your first conference!

That is exciting.

I have worked with friends to compile the following advice for your consideration.

Please note the below is from the point of view of a female and as such may seem "overkill" to those who aren't regularly concerned.  Conferences I do not believe are any more unsafe than normal day to day life, but they put a lot of normally unsafe activities (meeting new people, being away from home, drinking, parties) in a very small period of time.

New to infosec, need help finding a local conference?

General Conference

• "My #1 recommendation happens before the conference. Start walking in comfy shoes, and build up to a few miles/day, with your backpack, and some weight. This will make you less sore and tired during the conference." @tkrabec

• @MisterGlass "I always pack an extra charge of clothes." (In case things get spilled on you, delayed flight...)

  • This remind me, pack an extra day of medications too!

• Don't forget to eat, sleep, and drink water

• If it's large (DEF CON, Gencon, DragonCon, etc) wear comfortable shoes or have slip-on to change into

• Please shower

• @MisterGlass "I would also advise people attending longer cons to escape for a bit. Remember you're traveling, so go to a restaurant, take a museum tour, do something to escape the con for a few hours."

• @fredrichmaney "Always have at least one (appropriate for the venue) change of clothes in your carryon when traveling in case your checked bag gets lost or delayed. You can always find toiletries, but replacing clothes is hard/expensive."

• JamSplat "If it's your first conf; reaching out online beforehand to find people to meet up with can help you feel less bewildered and lost when you arrive. Try asking the con hashtag for icebreaker meetups, etc."

  • Also see if there is an official chat channel for the conference in advance (IRC, message board, Slack, Discord, hashtag on twitter, etc.)

Gaming Conference

• Test walking, sitting and eating in your cosplay before the event

• Don't forget pencils and paper! Consider blank character sheets and a folder.

• Don't forget your dice

• You can't do everything, and there will be time you need to get from one building to another so be careful when booking events back to back

Hacker Conference

• Find out if the talks are recorded. The networking opportunities, workshops, and events can't be replicated at home, if the talks are recorded you can watch them later!

• Tons of people will drink, you do NOT have to. 

• Ask questions if you don't know, many people are willing to share their knowledge. Some are assholes, you don't want to know them anyway.

• If it's large you probably can't do everything, pick your one major thing you want to do each day

• Bring a backpack for swag, and leave room in your suitcase too or bring a collapsible bag you can check,

• Pack wires and battery packs

  • never trust chargers anywhere, or wires

• Bring a notebook and pencil

• Pack or buy from a grocery store water and snacks

• Try and use cash, or a card you don't care if you need to cancel (a travel credit card that doesn't have lots of automatic things, and will be easy to monitor)

  • Consider turning off "tap" payment

• Consider most people know you online, make your avatar or handle something you can wear if you wish to be recognized see Name badge

• I generally skip business cards

• Have a ham radio license, bring your gear!

DEF CON specific

• Dr. Russ's guide to DEF CON prep

  • at least a small backpack to put everything in for day trips, with a camel pack for water

  • https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004V2LYIU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

  • https://www.amazon.com/CamelBak-Crux-Reservoir-Set-Blue/dp/B01LA5FCJ2/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=camelbak&qid=1562722439&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-6

  • one battery pack, but a charging squid https://www.amazon.com/CHAFON-Multi-Cable-Lightning-Charging/dp/B01DK13VZ6/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=usb+squid&qid=1562722491&s=gateway&sr=8-4 

  • pack a light change of clothes in the backpack at the base, good for padding too and rando-rain

  • TEST YOUR CLOTHES AND GEAR if they're new before the event

  • do a CPR class

  • carry possibly a small first aid kit

  • hand sanitizer, make it funny for conversations https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F64NAJI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

  • remember you're in a desert, even inside a building.... drink

  • hidden camera for hotel room https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Camera-Premium-Detection-Surveillance/dp/B07NY6ZNBL/ref=sr_1_4?crid=229GYF3K072C9&keywords=hidden+camera&qid=1562722808&s=gateway&sprefix=hidden+ca%2Cbeauty%2C255&sr=8-4 

  • hacker tracker for organizing (rather, organize what talks are interesting and set personal reminders to help you track your time)

• Don't use the ATMs (DEF CON)

• If it is DEF CON visit SkyTalks our stuff isn't recorded

• Before the event go off-site and buy lots of water and snacks. Get gallons of water and fill your own water bottle or camelback. They have water dispensers around Defcon but a personally don't like the water in those it's very minerally.

• On a budget?

  • Consider trying to do both Breakfast and lunch form things you get on a grocery run. You can get some good cheap dinners in vegas.

  • Because I drink I  budget myself at $100 a day that includes any swag etc etc

  • You can definitely get by on like 50 or 60 if you're going to drink stuff cheaper or hit the vendor parties

  • I tend to use the free shuttle buses to get around from property to property or do a lot of walking.

  • I bring cash for the defcon badge, and the cash I plan to spend, and one card i lock in the safe and can cancel if it gets compromised and that has no recurring payments on it. It helps keep me to a budget and avoids issues.

  • If you go to a liquor store you can just carry around a hip flask and spike your own drinks instead of paying for drink prices

• Advice thread: @l0stkn0wledge https://twitter.com/l0stkn0wledge/status/1143171362166575109 

• A great thread including fashion and clothes! https://twitter.com/ElleArmageddon/status/1140017746370953216 

• Thread: https://twitter.com/DAkacki/status/1133191230819643394 

• DEF CON main stage (also known as main line, defcon, DEF CON, Def Con, DC) is the parent event. There are Calls for many things such as - workshops, presentations, parties, villages, meetups and more. Once a call is complete there is a sanctioned person or event (like a village) that gets space and some basic support to occur as a sub-event at DEF CON but run/organized by its own group of people. These people then run their own Call For X’s as needed.

  • Sanctioned events require a def con to badge to enter. Although many villages do have their own badges I believe as sub-events they can't require them.

  • What does this mean? There are def con workshops, and there are workshops by the villages,  there are main stage speakers, village speakers, etc.

  • Meetups there can be official ones which def con gives space, and unofficial. Official requires a badge. Although hosted at and part of def con again they are run independently.

  • Parties, There are official mainline parties, Village parties, Unofficial people and group run parties, Off-site vendor parties. Official and village require def con badges. Unofficial have their own rules.

  • When you register for def con workshops you may not be registering for all possible workshops, Check each villages information for how to register for their workshop if needed. Please note def con workshops sell out VERY fast.

  • This event is huge, thousands of people, This has resulted in this current complicated setup and why people might correct you on a term you use, because with all it's complexity it is important to be precise so everyone can be speaking the same language as much as possible.

• Hacker Summer Camp

  • Check out - hackersummercamp.guide

  • There are events that run before def con (bsideslv, black hat) that are independent and separate, they are in different locations, different badges, etc.

  • There are events that run in parallel and are independent (Diana initiative, narwhal be, def con shoot, toxic bbq).

  • There are independent events that used to be a village or meetup (QueerCon) but are now independent.

  • The collection of all of this is generally called “hacker summer camp”.

• Badge life

  • People used to make badges to learn it show off hardware skills, Some still do.

  • But in many cases now everyone has a badge to sell to help raise funds or to do cool things. Many get you access to that villages events with perks (early to party), some have no perks at all.

  • You will see people wearing insane numbers of badges around as a result.

DEF CON while under 21

• You can't get a hotel room if it has a casino - you will need to get a friend or family to go with you and get the room - or find a hotel that allow's 18s (may have to walk farther)

• You may not be able to rent a car - it's OK there are taxis and busses and rail etc

• There is a lot of drinking, and events that include drinking - so you may not be permitted, but there are actually lots of non-drinkers or less than 21's so team up with them!

• If anyone pressures you to drink, honestly time to find a new crew.

• Be upfront about any budget limits you have, you can eat cheap, but again you may end up not being able to go on some social events at more expensive places. If you are upfront you should be able to find others who are also on budgets! Use twitter and discord in advance to find your crew.

• You can't be on a casino floor, this is going to complicate getting from point A to point B, trust me. Plan for everywhere you go to take longer and be more complicated and to get stopped by security a lot.

• Call around to check on hotel rules, usually ones without a casino are best or off the main strip.

  • https://www.alltherooms.com/blog/vegas-hotels-will-rent-people-21/

  • https://nitethrive.com/best-las-vegas-hotels-to-book-if-youre-under-21/ 

DEF CON while under 18

• You need a credit card - maybe get a pre-loaded one, not everywhere takes cash

• You can't get a hotel room - you will need to get a friend or family to go with you and get the room

• You can not rent a car - it's OK there are taxis and busses and rail etc

• There is a lot of drinking, and events that include drinking - so you may not be permitted, but there are actually lots of non-drinkers or less than 21's so team up with them!

• If anyone pressures you to drink, honestly time to find a new crew.

• Be upfront about any budget limits you have, you can eat cheap, but again you may end up not being able to go on some social events at more expensive places. If you are upfront you should be able to find others who are also on budgets! Use twitter and discord in advance to find your crew.

• You can't be on a casino floor, this is going to complicate getting from point A to point B, trust me. Plan for everywhere you go to take longer and be more complicated and to get stopped by security a lot.

• https://twitter.com/IanColdwater/status/1157627465151520769 

  • "It was worth warning them about watching their drinks AND food at parties that may be...special.  My oldest did learn the hard way about scammers (sob story for cash)." @Krenner

  • "Don't be afraid to compete in contests and village challenges. When I first started going to cons I wasn't 21 yet, so I did Tamper evident contests and ctf challenges all night instead of going to parties. Actually... I guess I still do that a lot..." @zjpahle

  • "Also, kids won't be allowed on the casino floor, but it's easy enough to stay away from and navigate, just remind them they may get yelled at and not to be thrown off guard for it. ... There might also be really large crowds of people that they likely won't be able to see over, so have some system for following each other and weaving through crowds. It can be overwhelming for some, but do not worry!" @vajkat

  • "I’m a middle-high schooler but I don’t know what advice to give I kinda do everything the adults do except for drinking :/ ... Also fun fact the penthouse parties are really fun because you don’t have to be over 21 to go in and you can still hang out with hacking peeps ;)" @nootsploit

  • "I’ve had a middle schooler at DEF CON the past 2 years.  They like to spend time at r00tz as there are lots of peers and better access to stations like lockpicking, drone wars, etc.  They always pick a few regular talks they want to attend and wander around the villages. We also configured a special laptop just for the event so they can tinker, play CTF, and hack on the badges without worrying about messing up their primary school laptops." @MattDevost

  • @ancients

    • "My first Defcon was at 17. 

    • Vegas has an under 18 curfew at 9pm. This generally isn't a problem unless you make a security guard grumpy.

    • Stay out of the casino floor, this will make security grumpy.

    • If you want to travel the strip, the monorail is far less sketchy than cabs or walking the open sidewalks for an unaccompanied minor.

  • My advice is: let the kids drive - If they want to see something or do something, let them do it! Don't force them to do things they don't want to. Remember the talks are recorded, so spend your time in the villages and There will be "adult language" so be aware. Don't be afraid to ask questions! most hackers like to teach. Do a CTF and make the goal of getting one flag! the @Gam3z_Inc is a great one to start with as well as the @WiFi_Village ! Bring a soldering iron and basic tools, it's hard to find one available in the villages. Bring snacks and drink lots of water! I always have at least 2 pairs of shoes and plenty of socks. Most of all have fun! You are making memories for life :) @biaSciLab

  • Don't talk to anyone at all out on the Strip (too high a chance for grifters or belligerent drunks).  Don't stare.  Don't get in a cab (Lyft is cheaper anyway).  Drink more water than you think you need.  Some casinos have under 18 zones, some just have walkways to the hotel. Don't go out walking.  Not only can you find yourself in a bad neighborhood fast, but it's going to be over 100 degrees all week and heat exhaustion sneaks up on you all stealthy like when you're not sweaty. @Noah_Abrahams

Burner Phone? No YOLO

YOLO Devices ("Burner Devices") < read more by clicking the link

You may want to do a safety assessment - and consider the following whenever traveling:

• Consider setting up Safe Calls (part of BDSM culture) at regular cycles, especially if you will be going to a private party or meeting up with some people for the first time. http://bdsmwiki.info/Safe_Call

• Don't charge items to the room - basically avoid anyone knowing your room number

• Normal bar rules apply, if you forget to watch/cover your drink, abandon it. Don't accept drinks not from bartenders.

• Stay on-site so you don't have to walk somewhere when you are unfamiliar with the area (less so if you know the area, won't be headed home late or alone, or plan to taxi/rideshare everywhere)

  • Conversely other people specifically stay offsite to avoid being with the conference people

• @SimpleSkink "Going with the assumption the con has some form of red shirts/secops, make sure you meet a few and get their numbers, not vice versa if you're not comfortable, so no matter what time or where you might be (even nearby the hotel) you can raise help. Just a thought."

• Drinks

  • Never accept a drink you didn't watch get poured by a bartender.

  • If there is no bartender, never accept a drink that isn't sealed (cans are ideal or twist top bottles).

  • Keep your hand over top your drink (fiddle with the umbrella/straw/etc).

  • If you put down a drink (go to bathroom or even look away) consider it done, toss it or ignore it.

  • Watch out how much you drink, especially if you have not eaten much or it is hot, or you have been neglecting hydration.

• Physical security

  • @deviantollam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw1Kg-6amGc&feature=youtu.be 

    • veritas traveller's doorstop https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/home/travel/40812-veritas-travellers-doorstop?item=05K9920 

  • https://twitter.com/aprilwright/status/1096043551572586496

    • https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GMPFCNC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=01010101-20&linkId=ed5f15fc30321ab8f2b4113bc4246a18&language=en_US

    • https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00186URTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fymzCbCE3MKBB 

    • https://architectsecurity.org/2018/08/physical-security-product-review-portable-door-locks-pdls-rishon-addalock-vs-masterbolt-travel-door-lock-security-compared/ 

  • https://twitter.com/editingemily/status/1095853582346141697 

    • https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00186URTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mamzCbNKC3NMP?sa-no-redirect=1

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0JtgRiaS4M

    • This is my worst nightmare. And exactly why I’m paranoid AF when I travel. 

    • Among other things, I use this lock to stay safe. I always ask for two keys and either don’t let maids in or ruffle the other side of the bed.

    • https://amazon.com/dp/B00186URTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mamzCbNKC3NMP

      • Quote Tweet @chadloder

      • Woman staying at a hotel on a business trip is approached by a man at the bar. She rejects his advances and retires to her room.

      • The man goes to the front desk, GETS A KEY to her room, then assaults and rapes her for hours.

    • Stop telling women they’re overreacting on this stuff. twitter.com/Antoinette0x53…

    • While I'm on this topic...

    • - I don't get in elevators with men. I will wait until I can ride up alone or exclusively with women. (https://youtu.be/l0JtgRiaS4M)

    • - I make the hotel look my room up by my last name if I'm grabbing something from the convenience store.

    • - I cover the room number on the card they hand me as soon as they hand it to me. 

    • - I pay with a card instead of paying with the room if I get even a hint of creepiness from literally anyone. 

    • - I put on my resting bitch face when eating alone in hotel bars. Never engage alone.

    • - I check in with a male friend at the conference when I make it back to my hotel. 

    • - If the hotel elevators have a number display, I push multiple floors or I get off at the wrong one and walk down the stairs. 

    • - I never let staff walk me up to my room.

    • - If there is a man in the hallway, I will not go near my room. I'll literally just sit down until the hall is empty. 

    • - I abandon drinks if I have to go to the bathroom during dinner alone. Any open vessel on my table is sent back and I order new drinks (even water).

    • - I ALWAYS accept that my behavior will be awkward/rude/bitchy because I don't give a single fuck. 

    • - If I'm traveling without colleagues, I don't stay at the event venue. This prevents attendees from easily finding me. 

    • Stay safe, friends. ♥️

  • https://twitter.com/chadloder/status/1095844739453075457

  • https://twitter.com/Antoinette0x53/status/1095843206724575232 

  • @deviantollam "Also, worth mentioning the advantages of hidden cameras in your room and/or a phone or tablet running Haven, for when you're out of your room."

• Watch out! thanks to SESTA/FOSTA normal thing you do to protect yourself may get cops called to "rescue" you, or arrest you as a sex worker

  • https://cseinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Hotel_Policy_Paper-1.pdf 

  • https://ncjtc-static.fvtc.edu/Resources/RS00002856.pdf 

General Packing:

• Will it, or any activities be outside? Check the weather you might need

  • Sun hat

  • sun screen

  • bug spray

  • coat / jacket / sweater

  • bathingsuit and coverup

• How much walking?

  • Sneakers? extra cushy insoles (happy feet)

  • Just normal flats?

  • Dress shoes? (Check out #HackerSwan)

• Food considerations for event or hotel room

  • water bottle?

  • snacks?

• Swag considerations

  • extra bag for swag or extra space

  • do you know you will get a shirt? pack one less.

2019 hacker summer camp packing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fAUQvWYxNax7JMX5QMQDtT7B1-PxnCmzL82-D7y_ZgY/edit?usp=sharing