2026-02-16 –, Auditorium
Wireless networks, a ubiquitous and often overlooked element of Web3 projects, pose a significant operational security (OPSEC) risk due to a phenomenon called "beaconing." As mobile devices move, they publicly disseminate personally identifiable information (PII) that malicious actors can combine with open-source intelligence (OSINT) to infer a user's travel plans, physical addresses, past conference attendance, associated crypto projects, and even the location of hardware wallets. This vulnerability contributes to the increasing threat of physical attacks (such as kidnapping and ransom, or "wrench attacks") and social engineering, as well as the risk of disclosing material nonpublic information.
This workshop will walk attendees through using readily available tools to collect and analyze everyday wireless signals. Hardware crypto wallets will be made available for analysis. Other secure tooling will be observed. Will there be enough information in the room to identify devices, individuals, crypto wealth? We will see.
As you move through the world, your devices connect to wireless networks and collect unique identifiers. Your mobile devices may be broadcasting these sensitive artifacts, possibly personally identifiable information (PII), through probes and beacons. These wireless signals can be combined with open-source intelligence (OSINT) to compromise your privacy, revealing your travel history, physical location, and even the existence and location of your hardware wallets. This data is an asset to malicious actors: enabling pretexting for social engineers, exposing daily routines to physical attackers, or providing partnering information to data-hungry degens.
This workshop demonstrates a privacy-focused security paradigm for the Web3 space. It moves beyond on-chain contracts to detail the off-chain vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals. Learn how to collect and analyze potentially sensitive wireless signals. Examine your digital footprint in a way an attacker would.
We will also discuss practical mitigation strategies and best practices necessary to secure your wireless devices, protect your personal safety, and ensure the operational integrity of your Web3 projects in a world where physical and digital security are inextricably linked.
To participate in this workshop, please bring a Macbook, Linux Laptop with a wireless card that supports monitor mode, or an Android device.
Benjamin Speckien is a veteran of the digital trenches, a cybersecurity professional who's successfully managed to keep the $200M+ cloud assets at cLabs from becoming a thrilling news headline. As their former Head of Security, he didn't just "lead" incident response; he personally ensured over 500 potential dumpster fires were quickly extinguished, achieving a mean time to detect (MTTD) in mere seconds thanks to some clever cloud security posture management. He's a certified, degree-holding hacker (CISSP, M.S. in Cybersecurity) with expertise spanning the Financial, Defense, and Blockchain sectors. When he's not busy making software supply chains less of a liability, you can probably find him contemplating the simple, secure life back in the peaceful Northwoods of Wisconsin.