Thread by @Snubs

I've been getting a lot of questions from women (and some men!) who are going to defcon for the first time this year. First off, congratulations! It's a really great environment to learn and make friends! Since I've been answering the same qs for many, here's a thread of tips:

I'm heading to #defcon @defcon and @DianaInitiative only this year because I'm finalizing a keynote and working on a super secret thing for Saturday. I don't have the capacity to also go to #BlackHat2018 and #BSidesLV so will sadly be missing those :(

With that said though, @BSidesLV is one of my favs and I've never been to Black hat. I've been to #defcon for 10 years straight. Even missed family reunions to go!

1 What is there to do at defcon?
While most of my time is dedicated to our hak5 booth in the vendor hall, there are also talks, villages, parties, contests, meetups, etc.
There's a get together for anything and everything: LGBTQ, furries, women, kids, zip codes, etc.

Most of these can be found via the defcon website. I highly recommend taking some time to look at the schedule of events and picking a few each day. Leave yourself time to relax and recoup from the non-stop house music, loud casino machines, people, and smoke.

Personally, I like to spend my free time making new friends, meeting other women in the industry, checking out the lock picking and wifi villages and wandering. Between interviews and my shooting schedule 🤣 there's also a new @EthicsVillage this year!

Tips for packing: expect a video on this in a bit on my personal channel, YouTube.com/shannonmorse
-water
-snacks
-good walking shoes
-deodorant/antiperspirant
-lots of cash for your ticket and the vendor room
-a phone charger
-usb cables
-sunglasses
-sunscreen (eco-friendly!)
-+

Hacker stuff, if legally permitted to carry across state borders and/or on a plane:
-your lockpicks
-ham radio (I'm bringing mine!)
-portable soldering gun
-multi tool
-spare cables
-etc
You can make instant friends with someone if you're there when they're in need of a tool.

Stuff you don't necessarily need to bring unless you're entering a contest, taking a class, or doing a ctf:
-your laptop
Seriously. I never bring mine because it takes up too much space and it weighs too much.

#badgelife is a thing and can get expensive! Bring spare batteries for your shinies!

Now let's talk safety and security at #defcon #BlackHat2018 #BSidesLV !
I have a background in hospitality administration.
Some things the hotels / restaurants should know, but may not have been trained correctly on:

-when you check into your hotel, the front desk should give you a room key and WRITE DOWN your room #. They should NOT say your room number out loud. If they do, ask them to give you a new room and not say it out loud. This is in case of eavesdropping.

-do not leave valuables in your room. Bring a comfortable carry all bag to walk around the con with. You'll thank me when you buy something in the vendor hall and they don't have shopping bags.. (Hak5 does offer shopping bags this year!)

-check and double check your hotel and restaurant bills. It's really easy for someone to charge something to your room or table, especially if they know your name. Much worse if they know your room #. It's also easy for a restaurant or hotel to double charge.

Casinos have rules for a reason, please follow them, especially in light of the tragedy at Mandalay Bay.
-masks on the casino floor are not permitted.
-underage drinking is not permitted
-weapoms are not permitted
Etc etc. Don't give the hotel/casino reason to have bias.

Personal safety:
Be aware of the people around you. The only time I have been victimized at a con was in the presence of someone I thought was a good aquaintance. If you don't feel safe, report, gather evidence, do whatever you need to do to feel safe. Read the code of conduct.

Awareness: when unlocking your phone, hide your pin/phrase/gesture, whatever. Always keep your phone on your person. Not just from badies at the con, but for theft as well.

Have a buddy system so y'all stick together 24/7. Have a code word or something that tells your friend that you feel unsafe and wanna leave. This is the same thing women do at clubs!

And ladies, if you're in an awkward situation and want to leave without being harassed or followed, I'll gladly be your bff that just happened to be there at the right moment and omg we need to catch up right now because I have something important to tell you.

Never accept open beverages. It's not rude. It's mandatory.
Be aware of your surroundings when heading back to your room at the end of the night.
Use that buddy system.

Here's a recent post from @thedarktangent re the code of conduct: defcon.org/html/defcon-26…

Remember, cons are what you make of them. If you go in positively, positivity comes back to you. I truly believe this! I have been going to defcon for 10 years for a reason. I've met friends who I later invited to my wedding. I've learned more than I could imagine. I ❤️ it.

@threadreaderapp unroll plz :)