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It’s time. Time for tinkerers, security researchers, hackers, and fellow nerds to gather together in signature black hoodies and utilikilts to beat the heat in Las Vegas for the summer security conferences: BSidesLV, Black Hat USA, and DEF CON.
EFF’s lawyers, activists, and technologists are excited, as always, to support this community of folks that push computer security forward. If you’re attending the conference and have any legal concerns about an upcoming talk or sensitive infosec research—during the Las Vegas conferences or anytime—don’t hesitate to reach out to info@eff.org where our intake team is ready to assist! Share a brief summary of the issue, and we’ll do our best to connect you with the right resources. You can also learn more about our work supporting technologists on our Coders’ Rights Project page.
Be sure to swing by the expo areas at all three conferences to say hello to your friendly neighborhood EFF staffers! You’ll probably spot us roaming the conference halls, but we’d love for you to stop by our booths to catch up on our latest work, get on our action alerts, and become an EFF member! For the whole week, we’ll have our limited-edition DEF CON 34 t-shirt on hand. We’re excited to see them—and other EFF gear—take over each conference!
EFF Staff Presentations
Privacy’s Defenders: How Hackers Helped and Can Do So Again
Hackers have a long history standing up for justice and that history has a lot to teach and inspire the hackers of today as we face a world with 360-degree surveillance that is increasingly marshaled against us by both companies and governments. My talk will tell background and stories from my book, Privacy’s Defender, that tells the story of my 30 years working with EFF to try to protect security and privacy in the digital age. Cards on the table: I’m trying to recruit you to join in the fight.
WHERE: Florentine F | BSides Las Vegas
WHEN: Monday, August 3 @ 11:00
WHO: Cindy Cohn – Former EFF Executive Director
Ask EFF at BSidesLV
Panelists from the EFF Staff will give brief updates on key topics in their expertise before turning it over to BSides attendees to ask their burning questions about policy, advocacy and making the future of tech brighter. It’s a dynamic session fostering engaging discussions on digital rights featuring an EFF staff attorney, activist, and public interest technologist.
WHERE: Florentine F | BSides Las Vegas
WHEN: Tuesday, August 4 @ 14:00
WHO: EFF’s Rory Mir, Kenyatta Thomas, Alexis Hancock, Haley Pederson, and Cindy Cohn
What Election Security Researchers Need to Know about Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
WHERE: Voting Village | DEF CON
WHEN: Friday, August 7, 10:30-11:00
WHO: EFF Staff Attorney Tori Noble
Privacy’s Defender: How Hackers Protected the Internet Before and Can Do It Again
EFF’s Outgoing Executive Director Cindy Cohn’ presents her first-person stories from her recently published book, Privacy’s Defender, that take you Inside the privacy battles that have shaped today’s Internet. It includes the hackers who helped free up encryption technology from US governmental control, allowing us to have the still imperfect privacy and security we now have online, and the battles to stop the mass NSA spying and eternal gag orders that arose from the governments formerly secret mass spying programs in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. She then draws from that long career of legal activism to the fights of today and tomorrow, featuring the role that hackers can play in helping to bring about a better, more just future.
WHERE: Creator Stage 1 | DEF CON
WHEN: Friday, August 7, 15:00-16:30
WHO: Former EFF Executive Director, Cindy Cohn
Why Mandatory Age Verification Keeps Us All Less Safe
WHERE: Creator Stage 7 | DEF CON
WHEN: Saturday, August 8, 13:30-14:30
WHO: EFF Director of Engineering Alexis Hancock & EFF Social Media and Video Manager Kenyatta Thomas
ESP32 As A Counter-Surveillance Platform
Privacy should be accessible to all. Historically, counter-surveillance tools have been expensive, complex, and inaccessible to most individuals, often limited to well-funded researchers and costly hardware configurations. The ESP32 offers a transformative alternative. This presentation will demonstrate how an affordable microcontroller has become the foundation for a growing suite of open-source, user-friendly anti-surveillance tools. We will discuss the technical features that make the ESP32 a compelling choice for these applications, including passive 802.11 and Bluetooth monitoring, OUI-based device fingerprinting, and robust cryptographic capabilities. Applications include detecting police body cameras in operational environments, mapping Flock Safety automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) infrastructure, identifying unauthorized drones, detecting radio frequency jamming across 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and cellular bands, and tracking autonomous robots operating with known-vulnerable firmware. These tools are cost-effective and freely available. We will also consider future developments in accessible counter-surveillance hardware, such as the ESP32-S5 with 5GHz support, GPS, displays, haptics, etc. Advancing anti-surveillance culture requires designing devices that individuals are motivated to use and carry.
WHERE: Main Track 1 | DEF CON
WHEN: Sunday, August 9, 10:00-11:00
WHO: EFF Senior Staff Technologist Cooper Quintin
Tactical Advocacy: Panel & Peer Sessions with EFF
WHERE: Policy Village | DEF CON
WHEN: Sunday, August 9, 12:30-14:00
WHO: EFF’s Thorin Klosowski, Cooper Quintin, Alexis Hancock, Tori Noble, Rory Mir & Cindy Cohn
EFF Contests at DEF CON 34
EFF Benefit Poker Tournament
We’re going all in on internet freedom. Take a break from hacking the Gibson to face off with your competition at the tables—and benefit EFF! Your buy-in is paired with a donation to support EFF’s mission to protect online privacy and free expression for all. Join us on Friday, August 7 at 12:00 at theHorseshoe Poker Room. Play for glory. Play for money. Play for the future of the web.
WHERE: Horseshoe Poker Room, 3645 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
WHEN: Friday, August 7, 12:00-15:00
Beard and Mustache Contest
Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Join EFF at the intersection of facial hair and hacker culture. Spectate, heckle, or compete in any of four categories: Full beard, Partial Beard, Moustache Only, or Freestyle (anything goes so create your own facial apparatus!). Prizes! Donations to EFF! Beard oil!
WHERE: Contest Stage (near the entrance to Hall 1)
WHEN: Friday, August 7, 13:00-14:00
Tech Trivia Contest
Join us for some tech trivia on Saturday, August 8! EFF’s privacy and security experts have crafted a new trivia challenge for DEF CON 34! Compete as a team in our no-holds-barred showdown to prove mastery over the obscure facts of digital security, online rights, and internet culture. The First Place team wins a set of custom Cybertiger Champion Badges and EFF swag. Second and third place teams will also win Badges and EFF gear. Invite your friends OR show up and make new friends! Did someone say BRIBES? The world is unfair! You too could influence the judges to add a point or two to your team’s tally. Overall Bribe winner also wins a custom badge!
WHERE: Contest Stage (near the entrance to Hall 1)
WHEN: Saturday, August 8, 17:00-20:00
Privacy’s Defender Book Signing with Cindy Cohn
Grab a copy of former EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn’s new book, Privacy’s Defender—and get it signed—while at DEF CON 34!
WHERE: Exhibit Hall West 4 (Book Signings)
WHEN: Saturday, August 8, 11:00-12:00 AND 13:00-14:00
Join the Cause!
Come find our table at BSidesLV (Middle Ground), Black Hat USA (back of the Business Hall), and DEF CON (Vendor Hall) to learn more about the latest in online rights, get on our action alert list, or donate to become an EFF member. We’ll also have our limited-edition DEF CON 34 shirts available starting Monday at BSidesLV! These shirts have a puzzle incorporated into the design. Snag one online for yourself starting on Tuesday, August 4 if you’re not in Vegas!
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