This year more than 35 UNLV cybersecurity students and Cyber Clinic members had the opportunity to attend the world’s largest hacker conference – DEFCON. Drawing 30,000 attendees annually to Las Vegas, DEFCON includes speaker sessions, specialized onsite “villages” focused around individual hacker/security issues, competitions, and more. Students were able to take part in a variety of workshops covering topics including email detection engineering, threat hunting, and industrial control systems, joined Capture the Flag competitions and an open source drone hacking simulation, and participated in multiple “village” activities.

“I made valuable connections at ‘Women in Security and Privacy’, learned about ciphers at the Crypto Privacy Village, and learned about the proficiency of AI vishing at the Social Engineering Village. I also strengthened my connection with other members of the Cyber Clinic by learning new concepts from them and discovering things we have in common despite being in different fields.” Kelsie M., UNLV Cyber Clinic Alumni and DEFCON attendee

The event provides numerous opportunities for learning, networking and making professional connections, but the ticket price can easily put it outside of the reach of students. Thanks to program funding - including through the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program (MSIPP) and the National Security Administration’s National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) program – UNLV students were able to participate in this amazing event taking place in the University’s own backyard.

“Overall, my experience at DEFCON 32 was highly beneficial, providing me with new skills, knowledge, and connections.” Maylee D.R., UNLV Cyber Clinic Member and DEFCON attendee