DC442025 June 2019
First Talk
Hackers gonna hack: Research Conclusions
Speaker
Dr Helen Thackray (@hel_ty)
Synopsis
Over the course of 3 years I have studied hacking communities for my PhD research. Investigating the social psychology present online, such as how being part of a group effects individuals, and the concept of the “hacker” social identity, I will try to explain my finding in answer to the question - what makes someone a hacker? From 4chan to DefCon, surveys and interviews, I have concluded my research, and I’d like to share what I’ve learnt with the community that has helped me so much.
Second Talk
Some Knowledge about Zero Knowledge
Speaker
Faye
Synopsis
Interactive Zero Knowledge Proofs are a place on a Venn diagram where colour blindness and cryptography intersect. In this talk I will explain what a ZKP cryptographic system is using an example of a colour blind gatekeeper and explain why this is related to something called the Quadratic Residuosity Problem. Additionally, a brief discussion into my current research into quadratic residues and perfect squares over the integers may follow, pending my presentation running in polynomial time. Discrete mathematics and cryptography can seem like a dark art, however at the end of this presentation I intend on providing ‘some knowledge about zero knowledge’.
We’re always happy for more talks, so if you’ve implemented Meltdown on your smartwatch, want to walk us through the highlights of a CTF, or have some insight into upcoming privacy regulations, we’re interested!
Drop a message to talks@dc4420.org with a title, synopsis and rough length, and don’t worry if you haven’t spoken before.