Summer camp for hackers | The Gazette

Labeled as the summer camp for hackers, a week-long set of security conferences including BSides LV, Black Hat USA and DEF CON were held in August. A mix of hackers, researchers, enthusiasts, and security experts descended on Las Vegas to immerse themselves in the world of cybersecurity.

While the attendance numbers of 2022 are projected to be lower than previous years due to the ongoing pandemic, thousands of attendees filled the city.

While some individuals enjoy the socialization aspect of a week-long trip to Las Vegas, many attendees go to gain education and learn different perspectives about the hardware and software technologies we use on a daily basis and the potential vulnerabilities found within.

One hack presented this year that could have significant interest to many Iowans was demonstrated by a hacker named Sick Codes.

An Australian who lives in Asia, he showed how he hacked into a Deere and Co. and gave himself access to change the manufacturer’s software code. Sick Codes was able to obtain administrative access over the system and make code changes that had previously been locked by Deere.

While the attack performed by Sick Codes requires physical access to the device, it opens the door for a lot of questions about the right to repair and the obligations of manufacturers to develop secure systems and the implications when they are not secure.

In addition to talks, DEF CON and other security conferences hold many “villages,” in which people can congregate and test specific sets of skills or hang out in specific areas of interest.

Car hacking, aerospace, ham radio, lock picking, passwords, social engineering and voting machines are just a few of the villages.

For those who did not want to make the trip to Las Vegas in the middle of summer, there are many cybersecurity conferences around Iowa that have quality content and attendance throughout the year that many should consider.

The Secure Iowa Conference is…