My first Wild West Hackin' Fest IRL is no longer just a bucket list item, and I have to say, we crushed it! That's right, "we". You see, once you have experienced that con, you are no longer alone. You kind of adopt a large family of good people who are really passionate about #CyberSecurity and helping others understand it...not with an ego centric approach, but instead with a deep love of the craft.
The other "we" I’m referring to, is the amazing 4-person CTF team of which I am honored to be a part of. We came in second in the #MetaCTF event, just behind the DSU team (congrats to them for snagging first place), and kudos to the “Safety 3rd" team who landed right on our tail! These team members really did the heavy lifting for us: Matt Pardo, Jibby Saetang, and Jon Thurston.
Speaking of IRL, I'm sure most of us are aware of the effects of social media and how so very much of what you read is the "wins" and the "slays" in our lives, and hey, I'll be the first to admit that that's mostly what I post about. But let's get real for a moment. There's a reason why most of my social media presence has been quiet this year. That's because this past year has been one of the darkest and most difficult years of my life. I'll respect the privacy around that, but I will say that it has made me even more grateful for my amazing family and friends. So yeah, I'm sorry, not sorry, that when I heard our team's name announced as the second-place winner, I leapt out of my seat, and screamed at the top of my lungs. The joy that I felt was off the charts and I just could not contain it.
Back in March of this year, when I felt like I was being put through a meat grinder and had gone a full week where I barely slept, I happened to get a surprise note from a long-time friend who was apologizing for not seeing a message I’d sent a few years prior just to catch up. His family sent me a BHIS hoodie, which I wore every day for the next 3 months straight (don't worry, it got washed regularly), and each morning, as I got ready to start my day, I would put on that hoodie and it literally felt like I was wrapping myself in a big hug.
So, to all of my Black Hills Information Security Active Countermeasures Antisyphon Training family, and to my #WWHF friends, thank you for all you have done for me this year. And thanks for making my sister feel so welcome during the family steak dinner and calf-roping night, she had such a great time and was impressed at how kind everyone was.
Stephan Borosh - I looked for you and wanted to say hello, next year!
Jason Blanchard - Thank you for all you do.
Chris Brenton - Thank you for your friendship all these years!
Kathy Chambers - How did we miss one another?! Next year!
Aaron K. Clark (⠉⠗⠽⠏⠞⠕⠚⠕⠝⠑⠎) - It was great to finally meet you!
Ray Davidson, PhD - It's always lovely to sit down with you (and Jen the Librarian)!
Jon Gorenflo -Thank you for going above and beyond with the extra t-shirt for my sister!
Corey Ham - What a treat to meet you in person.
John Hammond - It's always nice to see you, congrats on your award!
David Kennedy - It was nice to bump into you.
Brian King - It was great to finally meet you.
Mishaal Khan - Next year!
Velda Lempka - What a pleasure to see you again after 15 years!
Kirt Lenz - I'm sorry we did not connect, next year!
Josh Mason 🍄 - It was nice to chat with you briefly.
Tim Medin - HA! So much fun!
Molly Murdoch - Thank you for all, I will be in touch!
Matthew Nelson - It was a pleasure to sit down with you. Denver or bust buddy!
Shelby Perry - It was lovely to finally meet you in person, thank you for everything!
Solomon - I'll see you on the range!
Stan Souza - Thank you for the badge exchange.
William Stearns - Looked for you! Next year!
Bryan Strand - I kept looking for you, next year!
John Strand - Thank you for all you do!
Nathan Vance - It was lovely to meet you.
Wade Wells - Can't wait to see you in December in San Diego!
Brittany White and Aiden - Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Thanks to Rania Rollin and you, I can say I have seen Mt. Rushmore! #KindnessOfStrangers
🙅♂️Oliver (Jay) Wilson - We didn’t make it to Devil's Tower, but are already planning for it next year!
Douglas Young - How did we not connect?! I'm so sorry! Let’s make sure we do next year.
Ayub Yusuf - You are legend! Keep fighting the good fight!
A few more...to the gal from the BHIS Baltimore office (and her friend Kyle) whom I met at Starbucks and had a lovely interaction with, see you next year! Also, John and Ben (if you see this, don't even know your last names), it was so special to sit next to you and share such a deep and meaningful conversation. The world is such a better place with both of you in it, don’t ever forget that!
Lastly, if you are curious about playing a #CTF but haven't yet checked out the MetaCTF range, I highly recommend it.
# The End...er...actually, this is just the beginning! #
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