THEME: CONNECTED REALITIES Our theme this year is dub as “Connected Realities”, in a world where every action, transaction, and interaction leaves a digital footprint, ROOTCON 18 invites hackers, cybersecurity professionals, and tech enthusiasts to come together and explore the convergence of virtual and physical realms. Join us as we peel back the layers of the digital nexus to reveal the interconnected realities that shape our lives.

Through immersive workshops, cutting-edge presentations, and interactive experiences, attendees will gain valuable insights into the interplay between technology, society, and security in our hyper-connected world. From IoT devices, social engineering to threat intelligence, ROOTCON 18 offers a comprehensive exploration of the challenges and opportunities presented by our interconnected realities.

Let's all celebrate the transformative power of connectivity to revolutionize industries, empower individuals, and drive innovation. Whether you're a seasoned expert or a curious novice, ROOTCON 18 provides a platform for learning, collaboration, and discovery that transcends boundaries and fosters growth in the cybersecurity community.

So come join us as we delve into the depths of connected realities, forging new connections, sharing knowledge, and shaping the future of cybersecurity.

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What’s up Hacker Fam!

Countdown to ROOTCON 18 is officially on! and we are zooming ahead at full throttle, buckle up and get ready for an adrenaline-fueled ride through the world of hackery!

We are thrilled to unveil some notable dates that will shape this epic event!

May 1 - Call For Papers
May 8 - Registration Opening
May 13 - Call For Sponsors

Keep your radars up for more announcements!

We have been receiving calls, texts, and emails regarding the situation of the Taal Volcanic Smog. To clear things up, here is an official statement from both ROOTCON and Taal Vista Hotel.

Quote from Taal Vista Hotel Operations
"As of September 21, 2023 at 4:00PM per the advisory of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, there is a presence of volcanic smog caused by the Taal Volcano. Taal Vista Hotel is situated in Tagaytay City, Cavite, which is about 27 kilometers away from the Taal Volcano. While there is no immediate or direct hazard expected to affect Taal Vista Hotel at this time, the management continues to monitor the situation through constant coordination with the local authorities."

Manila Times: Phivolcs allays fears over Taal smog, no need to raise alert level

We are working closely with Taal Vista Hotel to monitor the situation and come up with a contingency plan should this situation worsen. We will be doing an ocular the soonest possible time to assess the situation. Rest assured the safety of our crew, con-goers, speakers, and sponsors is our utmost priority.

Keep your radars open on our social media channels for announcements.

The ROOTCON 17 Schedule LIVE! You may now starting planning your conference experience, parties to attend, villages to visit and of course sponsors to talk to.

ROOTCON 17 is almost here, we are just six days away and we are officially getting psyched.

Visit the RC17 Schedule Page, you can also download the handy RC17 Pocket Guide.

Are you ready to party? Cuz we are, the largest hacker party in the country by far is back this year!

Here's the whole shenanigans

Right after the Day 1 session, After-Dark Party will kick in drinks and a little pica is on us (limited while supply lasts). Aside from all the party drinking that we will be having, the After-Dark Party will be hosting the first ROOTCON Beer Pong Championship (hacker style), Our friends from Emerson who happened to be the sponsor for this party will also be hosting a networking session.

On the second day, we will be having our after-con party AKA Zerø-Hour together with the infamous Hacker Jeopardy.

You may register via Eventbrite and choose Zer0-Hour Party, limited seats only! Your registration will cover your drinks (while supply lasts), pica and we will be having a live band!

We don't want to be a party pooper so have Taal Vista Mobile Bar on standby and ready to serve some beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks but of course, this will be paid at your own expense.

Now that's one hell of a party, prepare those dance moves, splendid voice (if you are into singing) and of course those liver!

Can't wait to party with old and new friends! See you there!

Special mention to Taal Vista Hotel for allowing us to extend our party until 2:00AM! Yes you read that right!

We are days away from ROOTCON 17, and our villages are taking shape! Here is the initial line-up of village talks, more are underway.

Car Hacking Village Talks
Analysis of an In-vehicular network: From CAN bus to infotainment by Div0 CSQ
Present-day vehicles such as the Connected vehicles (CV) include wireless and external functionalities that improve drivers' experiences. CV will continue to play a huge role in our daily lives despite mass adoptions on Electric Vehicles (EV) and testing on Autonomous Vehicles (AV). This talk will feature CSQ’s test bench 3 as we explore more features on Connected vehicles. We will talk more about Infotainment systems and the difficulties we face with setting up bench 3 and go through the vehicular architectural differences between test bench 2 and 3. Finally, we will point out some learning points and challenges.

Blue Team Tricks - An overview of Automotive Defensive Engineering By Scott Sheahan
Sun Tzu said, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” This talk is for car hackers to learn about modern defense measures being added to ECUs and Vehicle Architectures.

Cellular Assault Village Talks
Uncovering Cellphone Risks: Interception and Other Mobile Attacks
In this talk, we'll explore the world of mobile security. We'll dive into how our everyday mobile devices and the communication system connect. We'll uncover different ways that hackers can attack mobiles, from intercepting calls to faking sender names in texts. We'll also dig into how these attacks work, like reading SMS over-the-air. We'll cover both passive and active ways that hackers intercept data. Passive ones quietly gather info transmitted between devices and cell towers. Active methods, on the other hand, pretend to be real cell towers to mess with communications. As we wrap up, you'll walk away armed with insights into the potential risks that our beloved mobile devices face and equipped with knowledge on safeguarding yourself against these digital threats.

Lockpick Village Talks
Safe Cracking 101: manipulating mechanical Group 2 safe locks
Mechanical safe locks have been around for a very very long time, and with good reason, many have no idea how they work. With the obscurity of this safety mechanism, we achieve security. In this talk, we explore the working mechanisms of Group 2 Safe locks, debunk some Hollywood myths and learn to exploit it's inherent weaknesses.

More details a the RC17 Villages