# Child Hacker Conventions DefCon Kids Lets Child Hackers Show off Their Skills By Michael Hines | Published 2011-06-28 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/defcon-kids References: [laughingsquid](http://laughingsquid.com/defcon-kids-a-hacker-conference-for-kids-aged-8-16/) & [reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/23/us-cybersecurity-kid-hackers-idUSTRE75M8BF20110623) I wouldn't be surprised to see summer camps for child hackers become a big business after the debut of DefCon Kids. DefCon Kids is a part of DefCon 19, the world's largest meet-up of hackers held annually in Las Vegas. This year marks the first time that the conference is catering to kids, with two rooms featuring hacking activities targeted at kids aged 8 to 16. DefCon Kids aims to show children that hacking in the name of justice can be just as cool as hacking to cause trouble and steal data. I don't know the first thing about hacking, but I am incredibly intrigued nonetheless by DefCon Kids. Hacktivists have been terrorizing the Internet as of late, stealing everything from sensitive information to money. Teaching children at a young age that hacking for good can be both cool and rewarding is a great way to fight against the rogue hackers unleashing havoc upon the Internet today. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.0/10 - Popularity: 3% | Activity: 48% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Youth](https://www.trendhunter.com/youth) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Child Hacker Summer Camps:** Opportunity to create summer camps that teach children ethical hacking skills and promote hacking for good. - **Hacktivism Education:** Demand for educational programs that teach children about hacktivism and promote ethical hacking. - **Youth-targeted Hacker Conventions:** Emerging need for hacker conventions specifically designed for children and teenagers. ### Who This Affects Most - **Education:** Opportunity for educational institutions to develop programs and courses that teach ethical hacking to children and teenagers. - **Technology:** Tech companies can create products and services tailored to teach and promote ethical hacking among children and teenagers. - **Event and Conference Planning:** Opportunity for event organizers to create hacker conventions and camps targeted at children and teenagers. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Youth-Focused Technology Programing](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nasa-space-apps-challenge1.md) - [AI Safety Training Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-hackingclub.md) - [Internet Safety Metaverses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/be-internet-awesome-world.md) - [Educational Coding Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/codeventure.md) - [Gamified Digital Learning Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/khired-kids.md) - [Virtual Summer Camps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/camp-little-bites.md) - [Youth Esports Safety Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/british-esports-association.md) - [Preschool Coding Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/codie-blocks.md) - [Child-Friendly Cooking Camps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/little-lion-cooking-camps.md)