DEF CON 34 is just around the corner, and the DEF CON Groups Department has been hard at work getting everything ready for another great year in the DCG Community.

Whether you’re a longtime DEF CON Groups member, stopping by to discover your local group, voting in the sticker contest, or thinking about starting one, we hope you’ll spend some time with us in W238 throughout the weekend.

Sticker Contest

If you’re planning to enter the DEF CON Groups Sticker Contest, now’s the time.

All entries should be submitted by August 1, 2026. That gives us enough time to prepare the display and ballots before everyone arrives in Las Vegas.

Once you’re at DEF CON, don’t forget to stop by the DCG Community and vote for your favorite sticker design. The Sticker Contest is poised to become one of our annual traditions, and we’d love to see as many attendees as possible participate in choosing this year’s winner.

The winning design will receive a DEF CON 35 Human Badge, so every vote counts.

Backdoors & Breaches Tournament

We’re excited to add a second new contest this year - the Backdoors & Breaches tournament.

On Thursday, stop in and learn how to play or connect with our team for information on how to be seeded in the tournament.

On Friday, we’ll be running open pool play. If you’ve never played before, this is the perfect opportunity to learn the game, meet other players, and earn your tournament seeding.

On Saturday, we’ll move into the seeded tournament bracket, with matches projected for spectators to follow along.

Whether you’re an experienced player or completely new to the game, we’d love to have you join us.

The tournament champion will also receive a DEF CON 35 Human Badge.

DCG Community at DEF CON

The DCG Community is your place to connect with and discover DEF CON Groups from around the world, learn how to start a group, meet regional goon coordinators, participate in activities, and connect with fellow community members.

We’ll have the Sticker Contest display, the Backdoors & Breaches tournament, community stage presentations, opportunities to meet group leaders from around the world, and plenty of chances to connect with other attendees.

We also have a surprise guest appearance scheduled for Friday at 1:30 PM. You’ll have to stop by to see who it is or stay tuned for a Hacker Tracker update closer to con.

Community Stage

We’re excited to welcome DEF CON Groups leaders to the Community Stage this year. Whether you’re an experienced organizer or just curious about starting a local group, these talks are packed with practical advice and real-world lessons.

Friday

• 11:30 AM – Starting and Sustaining a Successful DEF CON Group

  • DC862 — C$, Joe Folk & Christopher “reapermunky” Aziz

Saturday

• 11:00 AM – Building a Hacker Haven: The Long Game of Growing a Local Hacker Community

  • DC608 — Ryan Zagrodnik & Allie Zagrodnik

• 1:00 PM – Building a Strong Community Culture

  • DC407 — Edna Jonsson, Dustin

Sunday

• 10:00 AM – Lessons Learned from Building a New DEF CON Group

  • DC724 — Cliff “GritsnGravy” Friedel & Joe “jbohack”

• 11:00 AM – The State of DEF CON Groups

  • DEF CON Groups Department — Alethe Denis & Magen Wu

Schedules occasionally change during DEF CON, so be sure to check the Hacker Tracker app for the latest times and locations throughout the weekend.

Department Operations During DEF CON

As we move into the final stages of conference preparation, the DEF CON Groups Department will be pausing new group approvals and significantly slowing our email responses.

This pause begins now and will remain in effect through DEF CON and for approximately one week afterward while our team travels home and recovers.

If you’ve recently submitted a new group application or sent us an email, don’t worry - we’ll get back to you as soon as we’re able.

We’re a small department, and during this time our focus is on building and operating the DEF CON Groups Community so we can provide the best possible experience for everyone attending.

Thank you, as always, for your patience, your support, and everything you do to keep the DEF CON Groups community thriving throughout the year.

We’ll see you in W238 at DEF CON 34.