Press Release
☷AvengerCon VIII – Army Cyber s homegrown hacker con returns
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
Mar 02,2024
| 11| 0
AvengerCon VIII in Augusta , Georgia continued on the second day with various options for attendees . They could choose to attend one of three presentation tracks , explore the AvengerCon village , or participate in a panel discussion on AI - driven tools . This year , the conference introduced the "8 - 8 - 8 badge , " an electronic badge that doubled as a scavenger hunt . Attendees could collect codes and light up LEDs or even hack the badge to bypass the contest . The badge was available to all in - person attendees until supplies ran out . A special thanks to Capt . Richard Shmel for making this electronic badge possible . On the first day , there were workshops and an exclusive Capture - the - Flag event tailored for the Department of Defense , U . S . Intelligence Community , and Federal partners . The conference is hosted by the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade ( Cyber ) and focuses on computer security . The second day began with opening remarks from Col . Stephen Hamilton , Technical Director of the Army Cyber Institute , who discussed the intersection of leadership and technology . Col . Mathew Vea also gave a keynote speech on the origins of Army Cyber and maximizing its potential . The rest of the day offered attendees various presentation tracks , the AvengerCon village , and another panel discussion on AI - driven tools . Matthew Vea , who has worked at the National Security Agency supporting the country ' s intelligence needs with cyber in both civilian and military roles , talked about the origins of Army Cyber at the Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training Center on February 29 . AvengerCon VIII , an annual computer security conference hosted by the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade ( Cyber ) , took place at the Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training Center on February 28 and 29 . This year ' s event was held in partnership with the Army Cyber Institute , the Army Cyber Command Technology and Innovation Center ( ArCTIC ) , and the Cyber Infusion Innovation Center . "AvengerCon is a computer security conference hosted by members of the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade , " said Capt . Jake Heybey , a cyberspace operations officer with the 780th MI Brigade ( Cyber ) and one of the lead organizers for AvengerCon VIII . "It includes presentations , three tracks of speakers , training workshops , and small village activities for attendees to participate in . " Heybey explained that the event is important for three reasons . "First is outreach . The Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training Center exemplifies what we ' re aiming for in terms of bringing together elements from the government , academia , and private industry to learn from and influence each other . " The second reason is to foster a culture within the Department of Defense . Heybey added , "AvengerCon was started to encourage junior service members and civilians within our units to engage with the broader culture represented by larger conferences like Black Hat or DefCon . We wanted AvengerCon to be a stepping stone , a friendly venue for those who want to experience or participate in that broader culture . " Lastly , Heybey emphasized that AvengerCon is an all - volunteer event . "It ' s always been driven by grassroots efforts , which contributes to the unit ' s culture and strengthens the bond between different units . While most volunteers come from the 780th Brigade , we also have volunteers from Army Cyber Command and even other services . " The first day of AvengerCon included various workshops such as an introduction to module writing for the Flipper Zero and a hands - on Python programming workshop presented by Army Maj . Brent Stone , Cyber Solutions Development Detachment , U . S . The keynote speaker for AvengerCon VIII was Army Col . Matthew Vea , who talked about the origins of Army Cyber . He mentioned that there ' s a big divide between the senior folks , who he calls ' staffers ' , and the junior folks , who are the ' doers ' . He said it might be a strange way to start a keynote , but the resources to bridge that gap were present at AvengerCon . He recognized that the senior folks were the ones who were initially tasked with growing the cyber branch , even though they didn ' t necessarily have the right backgrounds and made mistakes along the way . He emphasized the importance of being honest with ourselves about those mistakes in order to move forward . Vea also pointed out that the O - 5 and O - 6 tier groups ( lieutenant colonels and colonels ) are a key part of filling that gap . So , in the past , we were talking about people who had never done any of this stuff before . But now , the current generation has some experience as CMT or NMT leads , mission commanders , and have been on missions . They are the ones leading the way for where the branch is heading . My challenge to you is to be present and spend time with the people actually doing the work . Understand the pressure they are under and the challenges they face . And for those actually doing the work , don ' t give up on the Army . Stay and work towards becoming the leaders you want to see . And for the Army Reserve support side of Cyber , there needs to be more alignment with missions that support training certifications . A panel discussion later in the day focused on AI tools and innovations in the field . The Army Cyber Protection Brigade recently discussed various topics , such as the current state and potential uses of cybersecurity tools , the limitations and flaws of these systems , and the impact of this technology on the world ' s information environment . Army Maj . Skyler Onken , a member of the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade , played a key role in organizing AvengerCon , an event that aimed to expose military personnel to the hacker community . The first AvengerCon was small and exclusive to members of the Avengers unit , but it later expanded to include a wider audience and industry professionals . Over the years , AvengerCon has grown and changed locations , with the most recent event taking place in Augusta , Georgia . AvengerCon , hosted by Army Cyber Command , took place in Georgia this year . The event featured various units like the 782d MI Battalion ( Cyber ) , 11th Cyber Battalion , Cyber Protection Brigade , Cyber Center of Excellence , and U . S . Army Cyber School . A highlight of this year ' s conference was the introduction of the "8 - 8 - 8 badge , " an electronic badge that also served as a scavenger hunt . Participants could either collect codes and light up LEDs or hack the badge to bypass the contest . Army Capt . Richard Shmel , a returning volunteer from the Army Cyber Institute , personally created over 300 electronic badges for the event . The organizers , including Army Maj . Neil Milchak , emphasized the importance of recruiting new volunteers to ensure the future success of AvengerCon . The event was supported by talented and motivated individuals from the 782d MI BN , 11th Cyber BN , and other members of the ARCYBER community . The organizers are excited to see how these new contributors will shape the future of AvengerCon .
PLAY the NEWS
* May be useful for visually impaired persons .
Press release information:
Direct link to press release:
Click here .
