DEF CON SG 2026 Recap

DEF CON SG 2026 Recap

28 to 30 April 2026 ยท Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

DEF CON SG was a wild ride. We were the first and only Malaysian community at the event, and this was our first time hosting a physical booth outside Malaysia. We wanted to bring something people could participate in, not just walk past.

So we built a cybersecurity escape room.

DEF CON SG at a Glance

First
physical booth outside Malaysia
Only
Malaysian community at DEF CON SG
Daily
sessions filled within minutes

Our First Booth Outside Malaysia

We wanted to carry a little piece of SherpaSec to Singapore. That included our ideas, our crew, our merch, and one ambitious prototype built for the people who stopped by.

The SherpaSec booth at DEF CON SG

Building the Cybersecurity Escape Room

Building a cybersecurity escape room for a conference booth sounded simple. The build was anything but. Countless hours went into turning a cybersecurity challenge into a physical experience that could run from our booth, reset quickly, and still feel rewarding for every group that stepped inside.

The response blew us away. Slots were fully booked within minutes of opening every day. We squeezed in as many extra players as the prototype allowed, and we hope everyone who got a slot enjoyed what we built.

Participants working through the SherpaSec cybersecurity escape room

Missed your slot? Keep an eye out. This will not be our last escape room.

Our Crew on the Creator Stage

For the first time, Yen Wai, Shiau Huei, Lik Ken, and Ruhan took the stage together to discuss the tensions shaping the next generation of cybersecurity practitioners.

Shiau Huei speaking with Yen Wai, Lik Ken, and Ruhan on the DEF CON Creator Stage

They spoke about topics that people do not usually address openly on stage:

  • LLMs eating Level 1
  • CTFs versus real research
  • Rules killing curiosity
  • Entry level jobs that are not actually entry level

The conversations that followed made every midnight brainstorm worth it.

The Real Reason We Made the Trip

Beyond the escape room and the stage, the best moments happened at the booth. People stopped to chat, shared ideas, picked up our freebies, and discovered who we are and what we stand for. Even the merch went through countless design iterations before making the journey with us.

SherpaSec crew gathered around a signed SherpaSec community board

Meeting people from around the world who care about the same things, face to face, is the whole reason we do what we do.

Singapore, Thank You

To everyone who stopped by, played, spoke with us, or took a piece of SherpaSec home, thank you. This was our first physical booth outside Malaysia, but it will not be our last.