A delegate hacked the conference network and was given an award. This is typical of the Defcon conference which attracts enthusiasts and saboteurs alike, says Simon Edwards. The crowds that descended on Las Vegas's casinos, strip clubs and all-you-can-eat restaurants last weekend were a little different from the norm. They were a little more troublesome, too.. . .
A delegate hacked the conference network and was given an award. This is typical of the Defcon conference which attracts enthusiasts and saboteurs alike, says Simon Edwards. The crowds that descended on Las Vegas's casinos, strip clubs and all-you-can-eat restaurants last weekend were a little different from the norm. They were a little more troublesome, too.

For these thrill-seekers were computer hackers and security experts from all over the world - distinguishable from the general public thanks to vivid red and yellow entry passes, and occasional outlandish haircut and dress sense.

They had gathered for the annual hacker conference known as Defcon. Now in its ninth year, it is claimed by the organisers to be the largest and most important computer "underground" meeting in the world. The estimated number of registered visitors ran to 4,500 this year.

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