2023 Badge Puzzle

The 3.5” Floppy Disk was a revolutionary storage mechanism!  

 

A thin metallic substrate within a hard shell allowed personal computer users to store up to 1.44 Megabytes of information... using the power of magnetism! 

Some fun floppy disk facts: 

• The dimensions of the disk shell are not quite square: its width is slightly less than its depth, it was impossible to insert the disk into a drive slot sideways; 

• Two motors were required to make a floppy disk work: a rotating drive to spin the disk, and a stepper motor to move the magnetic read/write heads radially; 

• The first Macintosh computers would boot an entire graphical operating system off a single floppy disk. 

Your BSides Edmonton 2023 badge is not a floppy disk, it is just a tribute.  

If you want to collect an authentic 3.5” floppy disk as your own piece of personal computing history, you can complete one of two challenges, available only on Monday, September 25.

 

ACT EARLY: quantities are limited!  
 

Challenge 1: The Security Professional Disk – Limited Quantities 

To earn this disk: enhance your professional network by engaging with BSides Edmonton on LinkedIn. Security professionals are excellent at supporting each other online, with this challenge we’re encouraging you to interact with our local cybersecurity community! 

What you need to do: make a new LinkedIn post, or comment on a BSides Edmonton related post, with the hashtag #BSidesEdmonton during the conference on Monday, September 25. Using your mobile device, show this activity to a volunteer at the reception desk, and you’ll receive a Security Professional Disk to attach to your lanyard. 

If you’re new to LinkedIn and need some help, find a participant who has already earned their Security Professional Disk. Ask them for help, and expand your personal network at the same time! 
 

Challenge 2: The Full Stack Hacker – extremely limited quantities! 

To earn this disk, you’ll have four tasks to complete:

1. solve a cipher

2. interact with wireless technology

3. social engineer a person of importance

4. deliver a secret spy message.  

 

1337 hacking skills aren’t required, all you’ll need is some guts, a mobile device, and a love for puzzles. 

What you need to do: to kick off your journey, consider this ancient quote from Caeser's son, Caeser the second: 

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Rfc ynn LDArmmjq kyw zc wmsp dpgclb qm dglb rfc lda rye ufcpc wms yafgctc fwbpyrgml 

Good Luck, and we hope you enjoy BSides 2023!