Rodrigo Branco

MTS at does it matter?
Advisor of Grsecurity. BYOS
Commitee Member of OffensiveCon, Langsec, DistrictCon, Secdev

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

Despedida da H2HC! (My goodbye to H2HC!)
(English Version Just After the Portuguese)

TLDR: Para aqueles que não conseguem ler uma carta longa, estou saindo da organização da H2HC a partir do ano que vem (este ano ainda estarei à frente do evento, como sempre). Todas as responsabilidades do evento ano que vem estarão com Balestra, um dos meus melhores amigos e alguém que sempre se dedicou e muito para o sucesso do evento. Acredito plenamente que o Balestra está totalmente capacitado a garantir o futuro da H2HC. Peço a todos que o apoiem nessa jornada de levar a H2HC ao futuro!

Não posso negar que escrevo esta carta com o coração pesado! Mas ao mesmo tempo, estou decidido de que esta é a decisão certa e a melhor para o futuro da H2HC e da comunidade Brasileira de segurança da informação, pesquisas e hacking.

Participo há 21 anos da organização do evento. Interessantemente, eu entrei para a organização durante a primeira edição, quando o evento já estava em andamento (que bagunça que foi! mas também uma das edições mais verdadeiras no sentido real do espírito do hacking). Passei a ser o principal organizador quando na 5a edição o comitê que organizava (umas 8 pessoas) estava, pra variar, dividido em diferentes ideias/opiniões e tudo estava atrasado. Na época eu disse que iria sair e nas discussões que decorreram o grupo decidiu que eu deveria continuar com o evento. O combinado era simples: manter o espírito original! A ideia de que as pessoas devem se encontrar, a ideia de que o hacking é uma contra-cultura, a ideia de que o conhecimento não deve ser controlado. Convidei então meu grande amigo, Filipe Balestra a se juntar a mim, e ambos sabíamos que seria um grande desafio. E mais 16 anos se passaram!

E o que mudou? Eu mudei, o mundo mudou, a comunidade mudou, os tempos mudaram, e a H2HC mudou! O evento cresceu muito mais do que esperávamos (e pra ser sincero, apesar de eu constantemente controlar o crescimento). A demanda de tempo para manter as coisas alinhadas com o que eu acredito e vejo pro evento passou a ser gigante (pra terem uma ideia, eu uso algo em torno de 1000 horas por ano). Temos algo em torno de 3000 pessoas por dia, 20+ villages, 18+ palestrantes internacionais (muitos vindo para as villages e não apenas para a grade principal do evento). Temos a revista, que aumentou em muito em termos de qualidade técnica nos últimos anos, graças a ajuda impressionante do Gabriel Barbosa. Temos os badges eletrônicos, que apesar de não conseguirmos distribuir a todos, continuam se tornando referência no mundo pela criatividade (tivemos desde um PCB com o layout do mapa do Brasil, até layout de uma arma com laser, implantes e muitos outros - e este ano tenho certeza de que o que virá vai impressionar a todos) - graças ao apoio do Brian Butterly, outro grande amigo meu que adorou a cultura real do evento e topou o desafio. Temos algumas das melhores palestras da área, literalmente palestrantes que não vão em outros eventos e acabam trazendo um reconhecimento internacional para a H2HC que muitos eventos (bem maiores/tradicionais) apenas desejam ter - graças, em grande parte, ao comitê que avalia as palestras. Temos bebida gratuita (incluindo refrigerantes, mas whiskey e cerveja também - tivemos até a nossa própria vodka e nossa própria cerveja), pois acreditamos na interação entre as pessoas. E quem anda pelo evento acaba descobrindo o que é diversidade de verdade pois temos literalmente todos os tipos de pessoas, com um mantra simples: o que todos temos em comum ali é a busca pelo conhecimento. Somos intolerantes em relação à preguiça e a falta de curiosidade. Doamos ingressos para quem tem interesse, mas não tem condições. Tudo isso com verba zero de marketing.

Obviamente todos os anos eu tenho aqueles momentos únicos que justificam todos os esforços. Ano passado, por exemplo, alguém me parou no elevador e disse que mudou para a área de segurança pois entrou em contato comigo há muito tempo atrás e eu doei um ingresso para ele conhecer e ver se realmente se apaixonava. Um dos meus grandes amigos recentemente me perguntou se eu lembrava como eu o conheci… e basicamente foi na H2HC, quando também dei uma oportunidade a ele. Um dos voluntários que trabalham no evento (o evento é todo via voluntários, nós não temos funcionários, não tiramos um único centavo, toda a renda gerada é investida em fazer algo ainda melhor) hoje em seus mid-20s começou no evento quando tinha 14 anos! Literalmente eu tive de assinar um formulário de responsabilidade pelo menor, pois os pais dele queriam ter certeza que iríamos tomar todos os cuidados necessários. Vemos no evento gerentes, diretores e até CISOs de grandes empresas literalmente correndo pra lá e pra cá carregando caixas e ajudando. Temos pessoas agora famosas na área que palestraram pela primeira vez na conferência (e quantas e quantas vezes passei madrugadas com palestrantes ajudando nos PoCs, revisando conteúdos, etc). Quantas vidas foram mudadas e quantas oportunidades foram criadas graças ao evento! (pessoas que se conheceram ali, projetos que surgiram dali, trabalhos e muito mais). São tantas histórias que sinceramente daria um livro (e nem sequer começamos a falar das festas!). Mas então, porque sair?

Para mim, liderar sempre foi sobre servir. Minha fé (nunca fiz segredo de que acredito em Deus) também me faz acreditar na importância de doar e compartilhar com os outros (e obviamente ninguém precisa acreditar no que eu acredito para fazer o bem ao mundo). Também sempre me senti bem em retribuir à comunidade por tudo que eu aprendi graças aos esforços de outros que compartilharam o que aprendiam. Eu sempre acreditei na frase: “O que nos trouxe até aqui, não necessariamente nos levará até ali”. Ou seja, temos de nos adaptar constantemente. Por exemplo, um evento de hacking ter redes sociais é um pouco engraçado. Mas ao mesmo tempo, é o mundo moderno e a forma como MUITOS se informam e se comunicam (dói meu coração, no entanto, ver um videozinho sem nenhuma informação verdadeira sendo visto pelo equivalente de 30 dias em termos de horas gastas). Como evitar excluir talentos que ainda não tiveram a exposição à sub-cultura e ao mesmo tempo não sucumbir totalmente ao ‘mainstream’? Esse sempre foi o grande desafio. Algo que eu sempre achei que eu estava extremamente bem posicionado e capaz de fazer. Quantas e quantas vezes não recebemos opiniões de formas de melhorar, e insistimos em não mudar (ou mudar, mas não totalmente). Sempre pensando na evolução necessária para que o evento continue tendo o que prometeu desde o início, mas ao mesmo tempo sobreviva a realidade do mundo moderno. Nossa posição sempre foi: pode até ser que em algum momento não exista mais a necessidade da H2HC. E isso é ok! Pode ser que em algum momento a comunidade já tenha descoberto outras formas de interagir, e a comunidade decida que o evento deve acabar! Para ser claro: não acredito que tal momento tenha chegado! Eu jamais quis ser um ‘organizador’ de eventos. Não sou um investidor, não sou uma pessoa de negócios e não tenho a habilidade política necessária para levar o evento para o próximo nível. A H2HC tem a oportunidade de crescer e se expandir. Isso traz uma série de vantagens, como locais melhores, mais atividades, atingir mais pessoas, etc. Mas para isso, a organização precisará se profissionalizar, o que exigirá ainda mais tempo (potencialmente uma dedicação exclusiva) ou diversas outras opções (prefiro não elaborar pois não quero deixar opiniões, confio plenamente que o Balestra saberá o melhor caminho a seguir). Não acredito que sou apaixonado por essas atividades como sou pelos resultados que elas irão gerar. E portanto não sou a pessoa mais qualificada a conduzir nesse caminho. Continuarei focando em ser um pesquisador que se preocupa com o mundo e com as pessoas. Assistirei, com grande entusiasmo, ao futuro da comunidade no Brasil e no mundo.

Abraços,

Rodrigo (BSDaemon)

================
==== ENGLISH ====
================
My goodbye to H2HC!

TLDR: For those that can’t read a long letter, I’m leaving H2HC’s organization starting next year (this year I’m still responsible for the conference, as usual). For next year, all the conference responsibilities are with Filipe Balestra, one of my best friends and someone that has dedicated a lot for the success of the conference over the years. I truly believe that Balestra is totally capable of guaranteeing the future of H2HC. I ask that everyone support him in the journey of bringing H2HC to the future!

I cannot deny that I write this letter with a heavy heart. But at the same time, I’m convinced that this is the right decision and the best one for the future of H2HC and for the Brazilian information security, research and hacking communities.

I've been involved with H2HC for 21 years now. Interestingly, I joined the organization during the first edition, while the conference was ongoing (what a mess that edition was! but also, it was one of the truest ever to the hacking spirit). I became the main organizer when, during the 5th edition, the organizing committee (about 8 individuals) was, as usual, divided between different ideas/opinions and everything was late. At the time I was done with it, and decided to leave, but during the discussions the group decided that I should continue with the conference alone. The agreement was simple: Keep the original spirit! The idea that people should meet, the idea that hacking is a counter-culture, the idea that knowledge should not be controlled. It was then that I invited my friend, Balestra, to join me, and we both knew that it was going to be a huge challenge. 16 years later, I believe we’ve done well!

So, what changed? I’ve changed, the world has changed, the community changed, the times changed and H2HC itself has changed with it. The conference grew way more than we'd expected (and to be honest, besides me constantly trying to prevent it). The time demands to keep everything aligned with my personal beliefs and expectations for the conference became huge (just to give an idea, I use something around 1000 hours per year for the conference). The conference has around 3000 people each day, 20+ villages, 18+ international speakers (with many coming to give talks at the villages, not only on the main conference track). We have a magazine that improved a lot in terms of quality thanks to the amazing help of Gabriel Barbosa. We have electronic badges that, while not given to everyone, are still recognized in the community due to the creativity (we had a PCB with the Brazilian map as the layout, we had the layout of a gun with a laser pointer, we had implants and many more - and I’m pretty sure this year’s one will blown everyone’s mind) - all thanks to the support of Brian Butterly, another friend of mine that loved the true culture of the conference and accepted the challenge. We have some of the best talks of this field, with speakers that literally do not go in any other conference and end up bringing international visibility to H2HC, a visibility that other conferences (sometimes bigger, more traditional) only hope to have - and that is thanks, in a huge part, to the technical selection committee. We have an open bar (including soda, whiskey and beer - we even had our own custom beer and custom vodka), because we believe in the interaction between people. And anyone who walks around the conference can see what true diversity is, because it is indeed for everyone. We have all kinds of people, and a unique mantra: everyone there has a common goal in pursuing knowledge. We are all intolerant to laziness and to the lack of curiosity. We donate tickets to those that are interested, but can’t afford. And we do all that without a single expenditure in marketing.

Year after year though we have those unique moments that justify it all. Last year, for example, someone stopped me at the elevator and said that they’ve moved to the security field after having reached out to me sometime before and I’ve donated a ticket to them to see if they would feel passion for it. One of my good friends recently asked me if I remembered how we first met… It was during H2HC, when I’ve also given him an opportunity. One of our volunteers of the conference (the conference is run by volunteers, there are no employees, we do not get a single cent, all the money is reinvested in making something even better), today in their mid-20s started in the conference when he was just 14 years old! I’ve literally had to sign a responsibility agreement since his parents wanted to be sure that we would take all the necessary precautions. During the conference we see managers, directors and even CISOs of large companies literally running around carrying boxes and helping. We have individuals that are now famous in our field that had their first talk at H2HC (and many, many times I’ve spent nights helping speakers with their PoCs, reviewing content and more). Many lives were changed and many opportunities were created thanks to the conference! (people that met there, projects that started there, work opportunities and so much more). There are so many back stories that we could literally fill an entire book (and we are not even talking about the parties!). So then, why leave?

For me, to lead is to serve. My faith (it was never a secret that I believe in God) makes me believe in the importance of donating and sharing with others (obviously no one needs to have the similar faith to do good for the world). I’ve also always felt good in paying forward to the community for all that I’ve learned from others that shared what they’ve learned. I’ve always believed in the phrase: “What got us here, won't necessarily get us there”. Which means, we have to constantly adapt. For example, a hacking conference that has social media is a bit funny. But at the same time, it is the modern world and the way that MANY get information and communicate (it hurts my heart, though, to see a video without any actual information, seem by the equivalent of 30 days in terms of hours spent). How do we avoid excluding talent that were never exposed to the sub-culture but at the same time, do not succumb to the mainstream? That was always the big challenge. Something that I always felt extremely well positioned and capable of doing. There were many times in which we’ve received feedback on how to improve, but we insisted on not changing (or change, but subtly). Always thinking on the needed evolution to keep the conference focused on our original promises, while making sure it survives to the modern reality. Our position has always been: maybe at some point in time, there will be no need for H2HC. And that is totally ok! Maybe in some moment the community will have other means to interact, and the community itself will decide that the event should end! But to be clear: I do not believe that time is now. I never wanted to be a conference ‘organizer’. I’m not an investor, I’m not a businessperson, and I do not have the necessary political skills to conduct the conference to the next level. H2HC has the opportunity to grow and to expand. This brings a lot of advantages, such as better venues, better activities, better reach, etc. But for that, the organization has to be more professional, and that demands more time (potentially, a fully dedicated individual) or many other options (I rather not elaborate or share opinions, I just want to emphasize that I trust that Balestra will know the best path). I would not be passionate about the work that has to be done as I’m passionate for the results that I believe the upcoming work could generate. And as so, I’m just not the best person anymore to conduct the journey. I will continue with my focus as a researcher that cares about the world and about people. I will watch, with a lot of enthusiasm, the future of the community in Brazil and in the world.

Hugs,

Rodrigo (BSDaemon)

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

@darkfloyd1014 @BEEP_SHOP @BEEP_akihabara we were just there a couple of hours ago...

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

@leenasoni_ @kitazawa_books @infinitybook yes, the rain made the festival a bit hard (I went there twice and it was closed, I still enjoyed the many book stores though)

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

So I am in Tokyo! Any hacker spaces that would take inpromptu visits, or any other gatherings? (might also be interested in Chess clubs and used book stores, I will visit a store near the temple today)

[Winnona 💾 @__winn]

Submit to the CFP! We close in 5 daysssssss

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

@iqbalabd it does collide with something from @offensive_con but I will try to at least pass by quickly (Tokyo is huge, so might not be possible but I am super tempted in meeting fellow pythonians!!)

[Iqbal Abdullah 🇯🇵 🇲🇾 🇪🇪 @iqbalabd]

@bsdaemon OK, so we have our next Tokyo Python Meetup on the 28th: https://t.co/IRNPKrv24X

The community is friendly, English speaking (important for travelers mostly) and sometimes there's free pizza. I'm sure you'll enjoy the meetup. I plan to be there too.

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

@iqbalabd just this week (I return in time to enjoy haloween with the family)

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

@aleattorium when I used to play (20y ago) my fide elo was close to 2300... I have no idea how that maps today

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

@4Dgifts I am not (I stopped activelly playing a long time ago because I spent too much time, I can't really control myself and start studying again, etc). Nowadays I play maybe a couple times a year when I go to a conference or visit somewhere new

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

@boardyai I have just DM'ed you, thank you for the intro!

[Brad Spengler @spendergrsec]

"I No Longer Think We’re Gonna Be Able to Just Patch All the Bugs", what I've been saying since the beginning :)

[SinSinology @SinSinology]

next time you're thinking about researching the linux kernel (@linuxfoundation), remember that someone on the receiving end of your report might talk about you like this:

in one of the threads, kernel maintainer "Peter Zijlstra" decides to call the ZDI team "monkeys"

there's a longer argument about how ZDI submits reports, whether they should include patches, and how fixes get tested. fair enough, have that discussion

but how does insulting the people reporting vulnerabilities help?

i thought the kernel's code of conduct was something everyone on these lists was expected to follow
sad to see people spoken to like this while trying to help improve linux security.

crime scene:
https://t.co/4Ud7JUz10M
https://t.co/vXiHlvyZGi

[Cristiano Calcagno @ccrisccris]

Hoping a formal methods expert becomes an influencer before an influencer becomes a formal methods expert.

[HackInBo® Infosec Security Conference & Training @HackInBo]

KEYNOTE REVEALED!

🔥 Rodrigo Rubira Branco (BSDaemon)

📅 21 NOVEMBRE 2026 | BOLOGNA

🎟️ Biglietti: https://t.co/GY97SrEUDE
🔗 Programma: https://t.co/RzBfmyPVFe

#HackInBo #HiB26 #Keynote #CyberSecurity #Infosec #Hacking #ExploitDevelopment #VulnerabilityResearch #Bologna

[grsecurity @grsecurity]

KERNSEAL™ is now officially KERNSEAL®

[Brad Spengler @spendergrsec]

Same doofus that said "No, the Linux kernel team is not burning the CVE ecosystem down.", and this gem: How'd that turn out BTW?

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

Oh, here is a good example of what I just said about PSIRT folks that are really detrimental to the industry ;) If they can't even do the basics of their profession right, how come they are still employable? Plenty of real security talent out there, just expand your hiring filter to cover in real security talent.

[@mikko @mikko]

"On October 21st at 07:41 UTC, more than six hours before the coordinated release, Chainguard unilaterally broke the embargo and published built images containing the fix. Like other distributors, Chainguard had received the patch in advance so its users could update the moment the vulnerabilities were disclosed. Any attacker could now study the fix in binary form while every other PHP user was still waiting for the release. This disregarded weeks of work by many parties toward a coordinated disclosure."

https://t.co/hszd7sh0NI

[Winnona 💾 @__winn]

How I feel 1 week before DistrictCon CFP closes vs right after

@DistrictCon CFP closes Oct 30 midnight pls submit

I know y’all are procrastinators but submitting earlier saves my blood pressure 🥹

https://t.co/V9OxNUn1Za

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

@V0iD_0daY Having all the technical qualities plus the communication/human side. I would first filter by the technical, but then be extremely demanding of the human part. Empathy and community-building specially.

[Rodrigo Branco @bsdaemon]

Been a part of a PSIRT team is likely one of the most stressful, difficult and badly recognized jobs in infosec. It requires so many varied talents. Huge respect for the VERY, VERY few folks that do it properly. Now, for the many others: I honestly struggle to differentiate your behavior from a scammer. Fake skills, fake caring, fake relationship. How some large companies have PSIRT leaders that after 20+ years in the industry don't even know basic terminology is beyond me! Folks can probably guess that I somehow am involved in dealing with reporting bugs again... after so many years, nothing changed!