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Hacker Conventions Ranked By Bandwidth-Per-Visitor

Posted by timothy on from the elbowroom-is-too-hard-to-quantify dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes "Ever wondered how much bandwidth you will get at a hacker con? This web page tells you how much. It shows the total bandwidth and bandwidth for each visitor for all the recent hacker cons." It looks like Defcon attendees get the short end of the stick, while those at metarheinmain chaosdays are practically swimming in bandwidth. There are a lot of other cons (a few examples listed here) which I'd like to see added to this list.

7 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. How much does it matter anyhow? by Arainach · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You'd have to be pretty crazy and/or desperate to risk using the provided bandwidth at DefCon (or any hacker con) for that matter. Regardless of how much faith you may have in the people running the network, you're surrounded on all sides by people who would like nothing more than to steal your information. While at DefCon, stay away from the ATMs and if at all possible stay away from the network entirely.

    1. Re:How much does it matter anyhow? by lysergic.acid · · Score: 2, Insightful

      yes, because we all know that 99% of all internet traffic is used for the transmission of e-mail passwords, credit card info, social security numbers, and other sensitive personal info. after all, no one would possibly want to read the news, or check their favorite blog or web comic, or play some online games while at DefCon.

      and i'm sure no one at DefCon has ever heard of SSL.

    2. Re:How much does it matter anyhow? by Eil · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I can't tell if this is a troll or not, but I'll bite either way...

      You'd have to be pretty crazy and/or desperate to risk using the provided bandwidth at DefCon (or any hacker con) for that matter.

      I don't think you understand much about hackers or hacker conventions. The conventions tend to have the best network management and security possible, period. That's what these people do all day long. For most of them, it's their job to make things secure so of course they're going to put more effort into it, especially with their friends hanging around.

      Regardless of how much faith you may have in the people running the network, you're surrounded on all sides by people who would like nothing more than to steal your information.

      Sheesh, let me guess, you check under your bed for hackers at night before you go to sleep?

      First off, it's universally accepted at all hacker cons that you don't attack the infrastructure put in place by either the con or the hotel. Doing so will just ruin it everyone. It's the kind of thing that will get a person banned from both permanently.

      Second, hackers do not want your information. They mainly care about exploring and exposing weaknesses that will allow less scrupulous elements of society to steal your data. (Namely, fraudsters and most federal governments.)

      While at DefCon, stay away from the ATMs and if at all possible stay away from the network entirely.

      The advice to stay away from free-standing ATMs is always applicable, but I have no sympathy for someone who sends sensitive information over an insecure channel no matter which network they're on.

    3. Re:How much does it matter anyhow? by leuk_he · · Score: 2, Insightful

      He is one of the spooks who want to keep their data safe instead of hacking...

  2. Location by Vertana · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Location plays a major part in how much bandwidth is going to be available. Beyond being just dependent on the ISP based on location and what companies are available there, you also have to look at which building it is being held in. DEFCON may have gotten the short end of the stick because the owners of the building they used would only allow so much. Not that a lot is needed (at least in comparison to how many participants are there)... nobody exactly goes to DEFCON to torrent an HD movie.

    --
    "The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec^2" -Marcus Dolengo
  3. Re:If you were at Defcon... by Darkness404 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There has to be at least one press member there that decides to go check his e-mail...

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  4. Re:I don't get it. by lysergic.acid · · Score: 2, Insightful

    if you really are there to learn, then being on the wall of sheep shouldn't be a deterrent from bringing your own device. being hacked is a learning experience in itself.

    and wouldn't you rather be hacked at a convention which promotes education and security awareness rather than in the real world where you're likely to be hacked by a script kiddie who's motivated by malice and won't be so kind as to let you know that your security has been compromised?

    if you do find your system hacked into and can't figure out how it happened, i'm sure you could find plenty of people around you who could help you find the security hole and patch it up. i mean, it's all in good fun most of the time. it's not like someone at DefCon will hack into your laptop and then purposely delete all of your important documents or infect you with a virus.