DEF CON offers a variety of contests ranging from writing to password cracking to beard and scavenger hunts. The vendor hall also provides an opportunity to pick up the latest tech and practice hacking skills.
The electronic badges at DEF CON were introduced as a unique, intricate art piece that came in a different design every year. Now, the organizers have evolved to alternating between electronic and non-electronic badges to simplify the design process.
A DefCon attendee deciphers a hidden message on their conference lanyard by using a clue from the conference schedule, leading to the discovery of a launch key and a secret webpage.