Upcoming Events

Patch in every 4th Saturday at 11AM CST — Hardin-Simmons University, 2200 Hickory St, Abilene TX 79601. Bring your gear, your questions, and your grit. Topics rotate — check Discord for the latest buzz.

May 23, 2026

Beginner Intermediate Hands-On

Mobile WiFi Recon with the ESP32 Marauder

Speaker: Matheus Santana

DC325 · Abilene, TX

DC325 Member Abilene Local Wireless Security Hardware Hacking ESP32 / Embedded

Matheus Santana is an Abilene-based security enthusiast and active DC325 community member with a hands-on focus in wireless security and embedded hardware. He's been running field recon across West Texas with the ESP32 Marauder — a pocket-sized WiFi and Bluetooth offensive/defensive toolkit built on the ESP32 microcontroller. Inspired by Spacehuhn's deauther project, the Marauder turns a sub-$30 chip into a capable field unit with a 2.8" touchscreen, SD card logging, and a full suite of attack and analysis tools. Matheus brings real fieldwork context to the hardware hacking conversation in a style that's welcoming to beginners while still giving intermediate folks plenty to dig into.

▶ What you'll cover (click to expand)
  • What is the ESP32 Marauder? — hardware overview, firmware install (Arduino IDE / OTA / SD card), pre-built vs. DIY builds
  • WiFi recon toolkit — access point scanning, station sniffing, packet monitor, raw frame capture, saving .pcap files to SD
  • Active tools — deauth flood testing, beacon spam, evil portal setup, rogue AP detection
  • Bluetooth capabilities — BLE scanning, credit card skimmer detection in the wild
  • Flipper Zero integration — running Marauder firmware on the Flipper WiFi dev board
  • Field workflow — wardriving West Texas, logging to SD, post-op analysis with Wireshark, legal & ethical use

Skill level: Beginner-friendly — no prior hardware or wireless experience needed.
Bring: Curiosity. If you own an ESP32, Marauder, or Flipper Zero w/ WiFi dev board, bring it — we'll have hardware on hand for demos.
Format: 45-min talk + live hardware demo + open Q&A.

RSVP on Discord · Doors 10:30 AM

◈ JUNE SPEAKER ANNOUNCED

June 27, 2026

Intermediate Advanced Hands-On

The Art of the Pivot – 25+ Years of Penetration Testing Lessons from the Wire

Speaker: Wirefall (Dustin Dykes) (LinkedIn)

25+ yrs Pentesting Dallas Hackers Assoc. Telesploit Founder Military Veteran Law Enforcement Vet OWASP Speaker

Dustin Dykes — known throughout the Texas hacker scene as Wirefall — is a security community legend with 25+ years of attack and penetration testing experience. He founded the Dallas Hackers Association (DHA) in 2013, growing it from a handful of curious hackers to nearly 1,000 members and 150+ monthly attendees — the largest grassroots hacker meetup of its kind, featured in Popular Mechanics. He is Chief Consultant at Telesploit, a remote internal pentest solution he co-built, and a contributor to Tribe of Hackers and The Art of Intrusion. A military and law enforcement veteran, Wirefall is also an improv and stand-up performer who brings unmatched storytelling to complex offensive security topics. Former board member of BSides DFW and TheLab.MS makerspace.

Talk: The adversarial mindset — pivoting, persistence, and lessons from two and a half decades on the wire. Expect war stories, live technique demos, and hard-earned insight you won't find in a cert book.

Check Discord for session details and RSVP.

July 25, 2026

TBA

Topic & Speaker TBA

Topic and speaker to be announced. Watch Discord for updates — slots open for community submissions.

RSVP via Discord. Doors open at 10:30 AM — don't miss the pre-dial chatter.

Speaker Spotlight

The operators behind the mic. Profiles of everyone taking the stage at DC325 in 2026.

Matheus Santana

DC325 Member · Abilene, TX

▶ MAY 23, 2026

Abilene-based wireless security and embedded hardware enthusiast. Runs field recon across West Texas with the ESP32 Marauder — a sub-$30 chip turned full-stack WiFi/Bluetooth toolkit. Deauth testing, evil portals, BLE skimmer detection, Flipper Zero integration, and wardriving .pcap analysis with Wireshark.

WiFi Recon ESP32 / Embedded BLE Security Flipper Zero Wardriving Wireshark

Talk: Mobile WiFi Recon with the ESP32 Marauder

Wirefall

Dustin Dykes · Chief Consultant, Telesploit LLC

◈ JUNE 27, 2026

25+ years attack & penetration testing. Founded the Dallas Hackers Association (DHA) in 2013 — nearly 1,000 members, featured in Popular Mechanics. Co-built Telesploit, a remote internal pentest solution. Contributor to Tribe of Hackers and The Art of Intrusion. Military veteran, law enforcement vet, OWASP podcast guest, BSides DFW alum — and an improv performer who turns war stories into unforgettable lessons.

25+ yrs Pentesting Red Team Pivoting & Persistence Telesploit DHA Founder OWASP

Talk: The Art of the Pivot – 25+ Years of Penetration Testing Lessons from the Wire

LinkedIn

Past Events Archive

Relive the lines we seized. Recordings, slides, and war stories from previous sessions. Search Discord for the full static.

April 25, 2026

Hacking Your Pentesting Career – From Zero to Pro

Speaker: Phillip Wylie (LinkedIn)

Penetration tester, instructor, keynote speaker, podcast host of The Phillip Wylie Show, and co-author of The Pentester Blueprint. 28+ years in IT/cybersecurity; founder of The Pwn School Project. Covered the full roadmap from zero to pentesting pro: essential skills, free labs, tools setup, attack methodologies, and career strategies.

March 28, 2026

Wazuh Open-Source Unified XDR & SIEM – Hands-On Installation + Core Capabilities

Speaker: Tyrone Conry (LinkedIn)

Cybersecurity professional with CompTIA Security+; covered quickstart Wazuh deployment, FIM, vulnerability detection, active response, SCA, and MITRE ATT&CK mapping.

February 28, 2026

Basic WordPress Security – Common Vulnerabilities & Burp Suite Fundamentals

Speaker: Scott Blaydes (LinkedIn)

30+ years systems administration; active in Old West Texas LUG. Covered WordPress hardening, Burp Suite fundamentals, and first steps in pentesting.

January 24, 2026

Introduction to Kali Linux: Essentials, Tools Overview, and Installation Across Architectures

Speaker: Nate Walker (LinkedIn)

TSTC West Texas; active in PWN Abilene. Covered Kali setup across architectures and core tools walkthrough.

December 27, 2025 — Holiday Hackfest

End-of-year exploits roundup + mini-CTF

Attendees: 22. Highlights: Eggnog-fueled jeopardy board, group win on crypto challenge.

November 22, 2025 — Wild West Infosec

Physical Security & Rural Challenges

Attendees: 16. Highlights: Lockpicking village, drone demo for perimeter recon.

October 25, 2025 — Professor Workshop

Algorithmic Vulnerabilities & Secure Coding

Guest: Todd Dole (HSU CS Prof). Attendees: 19. Live code review + deep-dive Q&A.

September 28, 2025 — Back-to-School Breach

Intro to Ethical Hacking for Students

Attendees: 15. Custom blue-box demo, CTF win by @abilene_phantom.

August 24, 2025 — Summer Sweatshop

Reverse Engineering Old Modems

Attendees: 12. Live wardial sim, group-built phreak box.

July 27, 2025 — Heatwave Hacks

Wireless Wardriving in West Texas

Attendees: 18. Kismet walkthrough, local WiFi vuln hunt.

Got stories from older meets? Ping us to add to the archive.

Event Guidelines

Questions? Shoot us a packet.