The End of an Era
SEC Youth Challenge Concludes, DC NextGen Takes the Torch
March 24, 2025 — When we stood up the Social Engineering Community (SEC) at DEF CON, we knew it had to be more than just a competition stage. It had to be a space for growth, curiosity, and inclusion. One of the core goals from the beginning was making sure young aspiring hackers still had a place to belong—especially after the beloved Rootz group and its youth program at DEF CON came to an end.
In response, we created the SEC Youth Challenge—a hands-on, challenging, and welcoming event designed specifically for the next generation of hackers. From its inception through 2024, it was a joy and an honor to watch young minds light up as they took on puzzles, challenges, and adversaries (some even real ones!).
The SEC Youth Challenge was more than just an event. It was a community. And that wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless support of Mandy, Kyle, Corgi, and Rekdt. Each of them brought heart, time, resources, and endless energy to building something truly special for these kids. We’re also incredibly grateful for the countless volunteers who guided, encouraged, and helped these young competitors learn and grow. And to the parents, guardians, friends, and family who brought them to DEF CON and supported their journey—you made all the difference.
And of course, to the kids themselves: you constantly pushed us to raise the bar. Every year, you solved the problems faster, found the exploits deeper, and made us realize we had to make the competition harder. You proved exactly why we built this in the first place.
But now, it’s time to pass the baton.
We’re thrilled to see the rise of DC NextGen, a group stepping up in a major way to support youth engagement at DEF CON. We believe the future of youth-focused hacking events at the con is in excellent hands with them. As such, we are formally retiring the SEC Youth Challenge, confident that DC NextGen is the right group to carry this mission forward.
If you’re planning to bring your young hacker to DEF CON, we wholeheartedly recommend checking out DC NextGen at: https://x.com/DEFCONNextGen
Thank you again to everyone who helped make the SEC Youth Challenge an unforgettable chapter in DEF CON history. We can’t wait to see what comes next.
– The Social Engineering Community Team
