What is Hackers for Charity (HFC) about? Here’s a hint: it’s not about Uganda. Yes, we have a lot going on in Uganda. It’s where I live with my (AMAZING) family. But it was never supposed to be about Uganda. It was supposed to be about you. Yes, you. And them. See, I started HFC because there was something missing in my life. I didn’t know what it was until I went to Uganda, gave some of my spare time and cycles and made a difference for someone in need. I came back energized, and started HFC because I wanted others to experience what I had.. something life-changing and fulfilling. I thought that if enough of us caught the bug we could make a difference in the world and maybe even change the negative perceptions of the hacker community. That’s when I packed up and headed to Uganda with my family to pursue HFC full time. That was four years ago. And we (my small but dedicated team and I) have done a lot, but that’s a bit disappointing because I never could figure out how, exactly to plug you in. At last year’s Derbycon, we soft-launched a new web app (our “Volunteer Network”) designed to get you involved in life changing work, wherever you are, no matter how little spare time you have. But the app flopped because it didn’t do much. Thousands of you signed up, then scratched your heads wondering, “What now?” The Volunteer Network has been rebuilt from the ground-up, and now it’s (finally, really) ready for you. It allows donors with gear and tech-savvy volunteers with spare time to connect and help charities in need. So if you’ve got gear or spare cycles or are (or know of) a charity in need, this app is for you. We are into a lot of stuff, and that’s what this talk is about. I’ll talk about: - Massive far-reaching educational software projects in need of all types of programmers. - Solar-powered, mobile, hardened, waterproof, zombie-apocalypse-surviving servers that need hardware, linux, Android, wi-fi, solar, security, Python and RasPi/Beaglebone/Cubieboard geeks. - Charities that need everything from web devs to pen testers to code reviewers and more - Our Training Center in need of custom networking, advanced wi-fi, custom Linux distros, lockdown, technical educational content, and more - Our street children rehabilitation initiatives, relaunched food-for-work program, work in war-torn regions of East Africa, new computer-based education initiatives, AMAZING success stories we’ve uncovered, preview clips from the documentary team and lots more.. If you’re interested in what we’re up to, know someone that could benefit from our services, or are ready to jump in yourself, please stop by. But I’ll warn you, “It really is a dangerous business.. going out your door. You step onto the road and if you don’t keep your feet there’s no knowing [what life-changing adventure] you might be swept off to.”
Johnny Long spent his career as a professional hacker. He is the author of numerous security books including No-Tech Hacking and Google Hacking for Penetration Testers. Currently residing in Uganda, East Africa, Johnny’s now focused on his work with Hackers for Charity. HFC is a non-profit organization that leverages the skills of technologists. They solve technology challenges for various non-profits and provide food, equipment, job training and computer education to the world’s poorest citizens. Johnny’s website is http://hackersforcharity.org. Johnny is thankful to God, Jen, Makenna, Trevor and Declan Long, the staff of Derbycon and the hacker community for their undying love, support and encouragement. It’s made all the difference.