DEF CON 6 Human Badge
A DEF CON 6 physical access/identity credential documented by InfoconDB event metadata, the official DEF CON 6 event page, and official DEF CON media-server photos from the Plaza Hotel & Casino.
DEF CON
DEF CON 6
The July 31-August 2, 1998 DEF CON edition represented here by official-photo evidence of pre-electronic lanyard and waist credentials.
Plaza Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada · United States · 1998
Lifecycle
Add-ons & Upgrades
Operational history
Issues & Camp Impact
No local DEF CON 6 badge photo has been added because the official media-server event photos do not provide a complete reusable license, attribution, and processing-provenance trail for this catalogue.
The record remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying DEF CON archive photography without complete rights clearance.
DEF CON 6 is modeled as a non-electronic physical conference credential because the public source trail proves identity/access artifacts but does not support electronics, firmware, or hackable hardware claims.
The compendium preserves the early conference credential without upgrading it into a circuit-board badge.
The current public sources prove visible DEF CON 6 credentials but do not identify the badge designer, production process, material, full role taxonomy, or any official puzzle layer.
The record limits claims to visible physical-credential evidence and event context.
Resources
Badgelife history
article · VICE/Motherboard history placing the first DEF CON electronic badge at DEF CON 14 in 2006, supporting DEF CON 6's conservative non-electronic classification.
DEF CON 6 event metadata
event page · InfoconDB source for the July 31-August 2, 1998 DEF CON 6 dates, Plaza Hotel & Casino venue, official page link, and program/archive references.
DEF CON 6 official event page
official event page · Official DEF CON 6 page preserving Las Vegas event context, event links, picture-archive links, and program link.
DEF CON 6 Lockheed photo set
official media archive · Official media-server photo-set listing used to verify a visible rectangular lanyard credential in the event room.
DEF CON 6 Snow Dog photo set
official media archive · Official media-server photo-set listing used to verify a visible blue attendee waist credential.
DEF CON 6 picture archive
official media archive · Official media-server directory for DEF CON 6 pictures, including cDc, Count Zero, Ira, Lockheed, Snow Dog, and unsorted event-photo sets.
DEF CON 6 program
official program · Official scanned program PDF preserved in the DEF CON media archive for event-program context; OCR review did not add badge-specific hardware claims.
DEF CON 6 lanyard-credential photo evidence
rights-limited archive photo · Official archive JPEG showing a white rectangular lanyard credential; used only as artifact evidence and not republished because the media-server copyright and attribution trail do not satisfy the site's image policy.
DEF CON 6 waist-credential photo evidence
rights-limited archive photo · Official archive JPEG showing a blue DEF CON 6 credential clipped at the waist; used only as artifact evidence and not republished because the media-server copyright and attribution trail do not satisfy the site's image policy.
Sources
DEF CON Communications: DEF CON 6 Program
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official scanned program PDF preserved in the DEF CON media archive; used for event-program context rather than OCR-backed badge claims.
DEF CON Communications: DEF CON 6.0 was July 31st to August 2nd in Las Vegas, Nevada!
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official event page for DEF CON 6, used for event context and the picture/program archive trail.
DEF CON Media Server: DEF CON 6 Lockheed 129.jpg
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official archive image evidence for a visible white rectangular lanyard credential; used for artifact description only, not as a local published image.
DEF CON Media Server: DEF CON 6 Pictures - Lockheed
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official photo-set listing preserving DEF CON 6 event-room images, including a visible white lanyard credential.
DEF CON Media Server: DEF CON 6 Pictures - Snow Dog
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official photo-set listing preserving DEF CON 6 event images, including a visible blue waist credential.
DEF CON Media Server: DEF CON 6 Snow Dog 459e9077.jpg
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official archive image evidence for a visible blue DEF CON 6 waist credential; used for artifact description only, not as a local published image.
DEF CON Media Server: DEF CON 6 pictures
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official media-server directory for the DEF CON 6 picture archive.
InfoconDB: DEF CON 6 (1998)
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Event-context source for DEF CON 6 dates, official-page and program links, admission price, and Plaza Hotel & Casino venue metadata.
VICE / Motherboard: A History of Badgelife, Def Con's Unlikely Obsession with Artistic Circuit Boards
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Secondary context source stating that DEF CON 14 in 2006 was the first electronic DEF CON badge, supporting the non-electronic classification of DEF CON 6.