When Security Compromises Security – The Caesars/Defcon debacle

Had a room visit. The two security guys were friendly in that weird way where they're all smiley and talkative, but completely ignore anything you say. Weird stuff.

Oh, and they made fun of how much I paid for room service, which is weird because it's overpriced to help pay their salaries... shrug

I get the why of what they're doing, but they didn't look through anything, so if I was planning something I could have had it all just in my dresser.

Defcon is moving to Paris, Bally's, and Planet Hollywood next year, but those are all Caesar owned properties, so it doesn't address anything. Although the room service may be cheaper.

> because it's overpriced to help pay their salaries

That's something you assume but cannot know unless you had a look at their books. Paying security out of room service seems quite odd. I don't think that the salary of security is based upon room service at all.

Apparently these security people weren't that useful security wise, but maybe it's more that they know that too.

From what is currently known it seems plausible that Marcus Hutchins should at least be under investigation. Some of the things he has done in the past were murky. Stopping a large ransomware attack (by accident) does not change that fact.

I have not seen remarks in the security community that people were afraid of being arrested out of the blue like Marcus Hutchins.

Surely this is at the very least a breah of privacy, and possibly a warrantless search? A hotel room, while occupied by a paying customer, should be treated as private property.

I am not part of the DEFCON community, but every year I hear about warrantless searches, equipment seized art the border and hacker arrests. I wonder why anyone, not least security researchers, would take the risk of going there. Just so as you guys know, we have conference facilities in Europe...