Inside the 610 Netrun with DEF CON 610 Founder Danny Akacki

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We talked with Danny Akacki, founder of DEF CON 610, Easton’s local cybersecurity meetup, about the 610 Netrun, a hacker-style capture the flag that takes over downtown Easton on Saturday, November 21.

Danny explains how the game works, why you don’t need any experience to play, how lock picking fits in, and why the whole day is built around showing off Easton’s small businesses. We also get into AI, voice-clone scams and the one thing he wants everyone to do for their own security.

What is DEF CON 610?

DEF CON is the world’s largest hacker conference, held every year in Las Vegas. Its organizers encouraged people to start local groups, and Danny and co-founder Nate started the Easton chapter 10 years ago. DEF CON 610 celebrates its 10th anniversary in February.

It isn’t a company. It’s a group of people who work in cybersecurity and want to teach. This is the seventh year of the event, and the first year it has had sponsors.

How the 610 Netrun works

From noon to 5 p.m., challenges are set up at three downtown spots: the Easton Public Market (in the back kitchen area near Scratch), Sakade and The Game Gallery. You can start at any of them.

Find a clearly marked DEF CON 610 beacon, connect to it, solve the clue and capture the flag. Challenges start at beginner level and get harder from there. A phone works, but Danny recommends bringing a laptop.

At 5 p.m., everything moves upstairs at Vault Brewing, where the game runs from 6 to 9 p.m. The scoreboard closes around 8 p.m., and then prizes are handed out.

There’s also hands-on lock picking from TOOOL, The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers, whose Harrisburg chapter is coming to teach.

No experience needed

“You don’t need to know anything,” Danny tells us. “We are more than happy to teach. This is a teaching event.”

It used to be called a CTF pub crawl. They dropped the name this year to make it clear the event is family friendly and open to all ages. Bring the kids, grab a coffee or a bite downtown, and take your time.

AI, scams and the human in the loop

We also talk about AI as a tool rather than a replacement, voice-clone scams, the fake “CEO needs gift cards” text, and why teaching your family to use two-factor authentication matters more than ever.

Can’t make it on the 21st? DEF CON 610 meets the first Wednesday of every month at Vault Brewing. No sign-up is needed, so just show up.

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