BSides Orlando

Bsides Orlando was a memorable event for me, taking me on a trip down memory lane. The last time I had set foot at Full Sail Live in Orlando, Florida, was back in 2005 when I was an art major, trying to decide on the college to attend. Attending this conference was an incredible experience, not just for the nostalgia but also because I was surrounded by amazing people, including my cousin, who joined me at the last minute to help capture the essence of Bsides Orlando.

This marked the second Bsides event in my career, with Bsides St. Pete a few weeks prior being my first. While it did require some sacrifices on my part, like sleep, a long drive, and a day away from my family, I felt that the event was definitely worth it.

Upon arrival, I was warmly greeted by a good friend of mine, who goes by the handle "Scuzzy," and his friend, Austin. Together, we went through the security checkpoint and entered the impressive Full Sail 1st Class Live Stage. The stage's cool design, production quality, and professional setup to simulate a live studio for Hollywood productions left me in awe. It's clear that this college prepares students for the real world after graduation.

After catching some insightful presentations from the speakers, we made our way to the Hardware Village, where we could solder and build our cool badges. This was a fantastic experience! It had been quite a while since I'd used a soldering iron or done anything like this, but assembling my badge and getting it to work was a lot of fun.

Once my cousin joined me, we began filming and taking photographs to capture the event's atmosphere. I met many new people and attended as many talks as I could. I even tried my hand at the CTF, even if I didn't score many points. It was a blast being a part of it.

We made sure to grab our SWAG, which is always important, and we even received a complimentary professional photo from [Niko G]. Another highlight of the event was the lockpick village. I was particularly impressed by Dylan's (@31337Magician) son, who could pick monstrous locks in a matter of seconds. I managed to unlock two myself, but it was getting late by then.

As I bid farewell to my friends, I couldn't think of a better way to end the day than with a quick visit to White Castle for some burgers. What a wonderful trip it was! I'm looking forward to attending more events like this and writing about them, so stay tuned for more updates! Follow GRC Guy on Instagram for videos and more!