Simply CyberCon 2024 Opening Comments
Gerald Auger opens the inaugural in-person Simply CyberCon 2024, held at the College of Charleston. The energy is palpable as he thanks the mod team, organizers, Mrs. Auger, and the community members who made the event possible.
Ground Rules and Logistics
The opening is straightforward housekeeping. Don't hack the college network. Don't litter. The conference runs until about 9 PM, with two tracks of talks and built-in breaks so nobody has to skip a presentation to eat. A food truck is on-site between 5-8 PM, and every attendee gets a free meal courtesy of the conference -- sandwich, side, and drink via voucher.
The Lockpick Village
Jeanie Rogers from Fox Pick introduces the lockpick village, which carries over into BSides Charleston the next day. There are two games: Felix's Breakout (solo -- escape handcuffs and pick three locks in under eight minutes for a custom 10-year Fox Pick badge) and Ptac Toe (head-to-head lock picking tic-tac-toe). Donations from both games support Hack for Kids, a children's conference in Chicago where kids learn soldering, lockpicking, and Java.
Community Recognition
Gerald highlights that there were more volunteers than non-volunteers at the conference, calling it a testament to the Simply Cyber community ethos. He gives shoutouts to Kimberly, Josh Mason, Joseph, and Chris Whitlock (who designed the badges). Joe Hudson serves as MC for track one, and James McQuiggan handles track two.
Who Should Watch
This is only worth watching if you want the full Simply CyberCon experience from minute one. There's no technical content here -- it's pure logistics and community celebration. Skip it if you're looking for actionable cybersecurity insights.
Notable Moments
The volunteer-to-attendee ratio stands out as genuinely impressive. The lockpick village sounds like a highlight of the physical event. Gerald's humor about not immediately applying lockpicking skills to College of Charleston doors lands well.