For the first time since 2013, a documentary crew got access inside DEF CON, the world’s largest and most secretive hacker conference held annually in Las Vegas. The film features exclusive interviews with senior DEF CON figures, Black Badge winners, and even DARPA officials. The documentary will premiere on Cybernews’ YouTube channel on August 3rd.
This film explores how the past decade has changed not only public perception of hacker culture, but the community itself. As the line between hacking and defence has blurred, DEF CON now attracts everyone from teenagers to cybersecurity professionals to government agencies.
Using personal archives from the community’s original creators and exclusive behind-the-scenes access, the documentary looks back at DEF CON’s early days and shows how far the community has come.
A promise to tell the truth
DEF CON has strict filming rules, and most previous coverage has rarely gone beyond vlogger-style footage. The Cybernews crew got exclusive sit-down interviews and tells the story of how the conference has changed from a small gathering into an event that now includes even government-organized competitions, including efforts to hack Air Force satellites.
‘Hacker’ through the eyes of the community
The community has long been followed by the myth that hackers are criminals. According to Moss, that perception dates back to the early 1990s, when reporters were trying to explain a new type of crime involving computers.
More than a decade of change: from parties to the US Air Force
Looking at DEF CON’s history, what used to be an old-school, underground hacker gathering with pranks and partying has evolved into something far broader. Today, it attracts professional coders, young people building careers in cybersecurity, and government officials. DARPA has held competitions at the conference, including the Cyber Grand Challenge and the more recent AI Cyber Challenge.
When the US Air Force wanted more people to develop the skills needed to evaluate satellite security, it created the Hack-a-Sat competition at DEF CON and, in its final year, launched a satellite just for competing teams to attack.
The documentary will be publicly available on Cybernews’ YouTube channel starting August 3.
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This entry was posted on July 27, 2026 at 8:39 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Cybernews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Inside DEF CON: New documentary offers first look behind closed doors in 13 years
For the first time since 2013, a documentary crew got access inside DEF CON, the world’s largest and most secretive hacker conference held annually in Las Vegas. The film features exclusive interviews with senior DEF CON figures, Black Badge winners, and even DARPA officials. The documentary will premiere on Cybernews’ YouTube channel on August 3rd.
This film explores how the past decade has changed not only public perception of hacker culture, but the community itself. As the line between hacking and defence has blurred, DEF CON now attracts everyone from teenagers to cybersecurity professionals to government agencies.
Using personal archives from the community’s original creators and exclusive behind-the-scenes access, the documentary looks back at DEF CON’s early days and shows how far the community has come.
A promise to tell the truth
DEF CON has strict filming rules, and most previous coverage has rarely gone beyond vlogger-style footage. The Cybernews crew got exclusive sit-down interviews and tells the story of how the conference has changed from a small gathering into an event that now includes even government-organized competitions, including efforts to hack Air Force satellites.
‘Hacker’ through the eyes of the community
The community has long been followed by the myth that hackers are criminals. According to Moss, that perception dates back to the early 1990s, when reporters were trying to explain a new type of crime involving computers.
More than a decade of change: from parties to the US Air Force
Looking at DEF CON’s history, what used to be an old-school, underground hacker gathering with pranks and partying has evolved into something far broader. Today, it attracts professional coders, young people building careers in cybersecurity, and government officials. DARPA has held competitions at the conference, including the Cyber Grand Challenge and the more recent AI Cyber Challenge.
When the US Air Force wanted more people to develop the skills needed to evaluate satellite security, it created the Hack-a-Sat competition at DEF CON and, in its final year, launched a satellite just for competing teams to attack.
The documentary will be publicly available on Cybernews’ YouTube channel starting August 3.
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This entry was posted on July 27, 2026 at 8:39 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Cybernews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.