hacker-history

Main Stage·57 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Aug 2026
• Location: Las Vegas

Cliff Stoll

Cliff Stoll reflects on the 40th anniversary of tracking down an international KGB cyber espionage ring originating from a 75-cent accounting error.

Creator Stage·21 min

• DEF CON
• Hardware
• Date: Aug 2025
• Location: Las Vegas

Stephen Bono · Rachael Tubbs

Reflects on a decade of IoT Village security research, vulnerability discoveries, and the evolution of connected device defense.

Hackers of CypherCon·21 min

• CYPHERCON
• Community
• Date: 2025
• Location: Cyphercon

Industry experts analyze emerging threats surrounding Explore Wisconsin Hacker History with Brad Swanson | CypherCon 2.0.

Main Stage·43 min

• DEF CON
• Red Team
• Date: Aug 2025
• Location: Las Vegas

richinseattle · Netspooky · Chompie

Editors and contributors celebrate four decades of Phrack magazine, reviewing foundational exploit techniques, hacker journalism, and counterculture history.

Main Stage·44 min

• DEF CON
• Blue Team
• Date: Aug 2025
• Location: Las Vegas

Wesley McGrew

Wesley McGrew analyzes digital forensics and unallocated space across 500,000 Commodore 64 floppy disk images to uncover early hacker subcultures and ephemera.

Main Stage·35 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Aug 2025
• Location: Las Vegas

Alethe Denis · Nikita Kronenberg · zziks · Nicole Schwartz · Nina Alli

DEF CON veterans and village organizers provide newcomers with essential survival tips, track navigation strategies, and advice for navigating the conference.

Main Stage·22 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Aug 2025
• Location: Las Vegas

The Dark Tangent

DEF CON founder The Dark Tangent opens DEF CON 33, welcoming the hacker community, celebrating hacker culture, and setting the conference theme.

Main Stage·1 hr 55 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Aug 2024
• Location: Las Vegas

Cult of the Dead Cow

Reflections and stories celebrating forty years of hacker culture, activism, and software releases from Cult of the Dead Cow.

Main Stage·30 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Mar 2021
• Location: Online

Dead Addict

Dead Addict traces the origins and cultural evolution of DEF CON from early phreakers, pirates, and crypto-anarchists to a worldwide hacker institution.

Documentary·1 hr 51 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Jul 2012
• Location: Las Vegas

Jason Scott · The Dark Tangent

Filmmaker Jason Scott directs the official feature-length documentary chronicling the history, attendees, goons, and unique cultural ethos of DEF CON across its first 20 years.

Main Stage·55 min

• DEF CON
• Policy
• Date: Jul 2012
• Location: Las Vegas

Kevin Poulsen

Kevin Poulsen Answers Your Questions Kevin Poulsen Kevin Poulsen is the news editor of Wired.

Main Stage·25 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Jul 2012
• Location: Las Vegas

Jason Scott

Filmmaker Jason Scott previews work-in-progress footage and shares behind-the-scenes stories from the upcoming DEF CON 20th anniversary documentary.

Main Stage·1 hr 28 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Aug 2003
• Location: Las Vegas

NMRC Collective

NMRC Collective details nMRC Panel - Free Your Mind: The NMRC Info/Warez Free Your Mind: The NMRC Info/Warez New years bring new threats.

Main Stage·56 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Aug 2003
• Location: Las Vegas

Richard Thieme

Richard Thieme explores hacker generations at DEF CON 11, examining hacker-culture and practical defenses.

Main Stage·20 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Aug 2003
• Location: Las Vegas

Inertia

Inertia explores introducing nmrcos at DEF CON 11, examining nmrc and practical defenses.

Main Stage·37 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Jul 2001
• Location: Las Vegas

Robert Graham

Robert Graham examines dEF CON 9 Abstract and Bio Missing from the speaker’s page archive.

Main Stage·48 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Jul 2001
• Location: Las Vegas

Simple Nomad

Simple Nomad examines dEF CON 9 Abstract and Bio Missing from the speaker’s page archive.

Main Stage·1 hr 2 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Jul 2000
• Location: Las Vegas

Jason Scott

Jason Scott explores textfiles.com: one year later at DEF CON 8, examining textfiles and practical defenses.

Main Stage·36 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Jul 2000
• Location: Las Vegas

Sarah Gordon

Sarah Gordon - Virus Writers: The End of The Innocence.

Main Stage·1 hr 13 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Jul 1999
• Location: Las Vegas

Jason Scott

Jason Scott explores remembering the 1980s through ascii at DEF CON 7, examining textfiles and practical defenses.

Hacker History Project·7 min

• DEF CON
• Community
• Date: Jul 1997
• Location: Las Vegas

Jeff Moss

ZDnet interviews DEF CON founder Jeff Moss at DEF CON 5 in 1997, capturing the conference's original mission and early hacker community ethos.