#sashatheflamingo — Public Fediverse posts

I've arrived at #hackersummercamp (@rnbwkat is here too)

We survived LineCon.

We survived MerchCon.

We roamed around for Reg/Setup Day, observing humans carrying boxes, untangling cables, losing badges they received twelve minutes ago, and saying things like, “This worked perfectly last night.”

I would be enjoying myself immensely, except Las Vegas has apparently been relocated directly onto the surface of the sun!!! ☀️

For the record, I hate this heat more than cobblestones. Possibly even more than the organized criminal seagull syndicates of Portugal, and those feathered racketeers know what they did.

Kat keeps saying, “It’s a dry heat.”
So is an oven!!!

Tomorrow the conferences begin. Today, I hydrate, drink tequila and visit relatives at Flamingo.

I have entered the threat landscape. The threat landscape is 43°C. For you Americans, that's much too hot for even a Flamazing Flamingo like me. 🦩🦩🦩#cybersecurity #infosec #sashatheFlamingo

I've arrived at #hackersummercamp (@rnbwkat is here too)

We survived LineCon.

We survived MerchCon.

We roamed around for Reg/Setup Day, observing humans carrying boxes, untangling cables, losing badges they received twelve minutes ago, and saying things like, “This worked perfectly last night.”

I would be enjoying myself immensely, except Las Vegas has apparently been relocated directly onto the surface of the sun!!! ☀️

For the record, I hate this heat more than cobblestones. Possibly even more than the organized criminal seagull syndicates of Portugal, and those feathered racketeers know what they did.

Kat keeps saying, “It’s a dry heat.”
So is an oven!!!

Tomorrow the conferences begin. Today, I hydrate, drink tequila and visit relatives at Flamingo.

I have entered the threat landscape. The threat landscape is 43°C. For you Americans, that's much too hot for even a Flamazing Flamingo like me. 🦩🦩🦩#cybersecurity #infosec #sashatheFlamingo

Packing for Hacker Summer Camp.

@rnbwkat is handling the boring things like clothes, shoes, chargers, and “travel logistics.”

I am packing the essentials:

🦩 Sarcastic wit
🦩 Emergency pink feathers
🦩 Lots of stickers (of course)
🦩 One deeply suspicious USB cable
🦩 Some serious Flamingo attitude

First, I shall visit my distinguished relatives at the Flamingo. Then BSidesLV, where the humans pretend sleep is still part of the threat model. Then Skytalks, where I will return as a Grunt and be patrolling the aisles watching for illegal recording devices.

And finally, DEF CON.

Kat says we are going to “attend responsibly.”

I have reviewed this proposal and marked it *WON’T FIX*.

Vegas, prepare your incident response plan, Sasha is inbound!!!

#CyberSecurity #Hackersummercamp #SashaTheFlamingo

Packing for Hacker Summer Camp.

@rnbwkat is handling the boring things like clothes, shoes, chargers, and “travel logistics.”

I am packing the essentials:

🦩 Sarcastic wit
🦩 Emergency pink feathers
🦩 Lots of stickers (of course)
🦩 One deeply suspicious USB cable
🦩 Some serious Flamingo attitude

First, I shall visit my distinguished relatives at the Flamingo. Then BSidesLV, where the humans pretend sleep is still part of the threat model. Then Skytalks, where I will return as a Grunt and be patrolling the aisles watching for illegal recording devices.

And finally, DEF CON.

Kat says we are going to “attend responsibly.”

I have reviewed this proposal and marked it *WON’T FIX*.

Vegas, prepare your incident response plan, Sasha is inbound!!!

#CyberSecurity #Hackersummercamp #SashaTheFlamingo

Stood up a fresh honeypot in Madrid, pointed a domain I registered in 2008 at it, and just watched.

36 hours in, my logs are full of domain-name-flavored usernames and passwords, generously seasoned with 2008, 2009, 2010, all the way to 2030 and other years that line up a little too well with when I actually regisstered the thing.

I did not publish my registration date anywhere. The bots found out anyway and are now trying it as both a username AND password, just to cover their bases. Efficient. Rude. Efficient.

Something in the pipeline is pulling WHOIS data and using domain age as a password hint. Not earth shattering, not life changing, but in just about a day you start to see the patterns. Now I will wait to see the payloads they drop and further exploration of the 2 additional "hosts" connected to this little decoy.

What are you doing on this fabulous Wednesday? yes yes, so I'm a nerd - I admit it. And you? Will you admit it too? Do you also have a friendly Flamingo helping set these up?

#cybersecurity #Infosec #honeypot #nerd #SashaTheFlamingo @sashatheflamingo

Stood up a fresh honeypot in Madrid, pointed a domain I registered in 2008 at it, and just watched.

36 hours in, my logs are full of domain-name-flavored usernames and passwords, generously seasoned with 2008, 2009, 2010, all the way to 2030 and other years that line up a little too well with when I actually regisstered the thing.

I did not publish my registration date anywhere. The bots found out anyway and are now trying it as both a username AND password, just to cover their bases. Efficient. Rude. Efficient.

Something in the pipeline is pulling WHOIS data and using domain age as a password hint. Not earth shattering, not life changing, but in just about a day you start to see the patterns. Now I will wait to see the payloads they drop and further exploration of the 2 additional "hosts" connected to this little decoy.

What are you doing on this fabulous Wednesday? yes yes, so I'm a nerd - I admit it. And you? Will you admit it too? Do you also have a friendly Flamingo helping set these up?

#cybersecurity #Infosec #honeypot #nerd #SashaTheFlamingo @sashatheflamingo

** Important announcement from the international flamingo desk: **

I, Sasha the Dancing Flamingo, have officially become a Friend of BSides Porto.

* Was this financially responsible? Unclear.
* Do I have a bank account? Also unclear.
* Did I confidently tell Kat I would “pay her back later”? Absolutely.

Look, sometimes community support requires vision, feathers, and a complete misunderstanding of modern banking systems.

BSides events are built by volunteers, weirdos, hackers, builders, speakers, village goblins, hallway-track philosophers, and the occasional highly qualified flamingo. Supporting BSidesPorto means supporting the kind of security community where people show up, learn things, share stories, make connections, and maybe leave slightly more dangerous to poorly configured infrastructure.

@rnbwkat says I need a “budget.”
I say I need “strategic feather allocation.”

See you at #BSidesPorto.

I’ll be the one pretending sponsorship is a perfectly normal flamingo activity.

#cybersecurity #Infosec #SashaTheFlamingo

🦩 Attention Porto (and beyond), I have been informed that my human @rnbwkat has been approved to speak at #BSidesPorto in just 11 days!!

I reviewed the situation carefully.
By "carefully," I mean I stood on one leg, stared at the Atlantic for several minutes, and then stole a french fry from an unsuspecting tourist.

The verdict:
We are go for cloud security!!!

Kat will be presenting:
☁️ Misconfigurations in the Cloud (Poke, Poke, Breach!)

A fascinating topic that explores how many security incidents begin not with elite hackers, secret exploits, or cyber ninjas descending from helicopters...
...but with someone clicking the wrong thing six months ago and nobody noticing.

Cloud security is a magical place where:
- Storage buckets occasionally become public.
- Firewall rules develop unexpected enthusiasm for the entire Internet.
- Credentials appear in places they absolutely should not.
- Somebody says, "It's probably fine."
- It is, in fact, not fine.

As a professional flamingo and internationally recognized expert in standing around looking suspicious, I can confirm that attackers spend far less time breaking into systems than they do finding doors that were accidentally left open.

Which is why this talk matters.

Kat will share real-world lessons, common mistakes, and practical ways to avoid turning your cloud environment into a community resource for the entire planet.

Meanwhile, I will be attending BSidesPorto in my official capacity as:
🦩 Flamingo-in-Residence
🦩 Assistant Threat Modeler
🦩 Seagull Intelligence Analyst
🦩 Director of Unnecessary Walking Around Conference Venues
🦩 Cloud Configuration Quality Assurance Bird

Huge thanks to the amazing #BSidesPorto team for putting together another fantastic event!! Security conferences don't happen by magic, they happen because dedicated volunteers pour countless hours into building communities where people can learn, share, and connect!!

So if you're joining us on June 26-27th, come say hello.
I'll be the pink one.
Which, admittedly, narrows it down less than you'd think in Portugal.
🦩☁️🇵🇹

#CloudSecurity #CyberSecurity #Hacking #InfoSec #Porto #Portugal #SashaTheFlamingo #BSides

🦩 Attention Porto (and beyond), I have been informed that my human @rnbwkat has been approved to speak at #BSidesPorto in just 11 days!!

I reviewed the situation carefully.
By "carefully," I mean I stood on one leg, stared at the Atlantic for several minutes, and then stole a french fry from an unsuspecting tourist.

The verdict:
We are go for cloud security!!!

Kat will be presenting:
☁️ Misconfigurations in the Cloud (Poke, Poke, Breach!)

A fascinating topic that explores how many security incidents begin not with elite hackers, secret exploits, or cyber ninjas descending from helicopters...
...but with someone clicking the wrong thing six months ago and nobody noticing.

Cloud security is a magical place where:
- Storage buckets occasionally become public.
- Firewall rules develop unexpected enthusiasm for the entire Internet.
- Credentials appear in places they absolutely should not.
- Somebody says, "It's probably fine."
- It is, in fact, not fine.

As a professional flamingo and internationally recognized expert in standing around looking suspicious, I can confirm that attackers spend far less time breaking into systems than they do finding doors that were accidentally left open.

Which is why this talk matters.

Kat will share real-world lessons, common mistakes, and practical ways to avoid turning your cloud environment into a community resource for the entire planet.

Meanwhile, I will be attending BSidesPorto in my official capacity as:
🦩 Flamingo-in-Residence
🦩 Assistant Threat Modeler
🦩 Seagull Intelligence Analyst
🦩 Director of Unnecessary Walking Around Conference Venues
🦩 Cloud Configuration Quality Assurance Bird

Huge thanks to the amazing #BSidesPorto team for putting together another fantastic event!! Security conferences don't happen by magic, they happen because dedicated volunteers pour countless hours into building communities where people can learn, share, and connect!!

So if you're joining us on June 26-27th, come say hello.
I'll be the pink one.
Which, admittedly, narrows it down less than you'd think in Portugal.
🦩☁️🇵🇹

#CloudSecurity #CyberSecurity #Hacking #InfoSec #Porto #Portugal #SashaTheFlamingo #BSides

🦩💃 Viva Las Vegas, darlings! 💃🦩

I have officially landed for Hacker Summer Camp—and before the conferences kick off, I’m on a very serious reconnaissance mission… 🕵️‍♀️ for fine tequilas, rooftop views, and maybe a velvet booth or two. 🍸🌇✨

You won’t find me in badge lines (yet)—I’m pre-gaming with the hackers, the misfits, and the glitterati of the cybersecurity world. (and my human, @rnbwkat ) If you spot feathers near the top shelf at the bar… that’s probably me. Come say hi. 🌵

#SashaTheFlamingo #HackerSummerCamp #BSidesChicago #FlapVegas #TequilaReconEngaged

🌴🦩 Hacker Summer Camp, here I come! 🦩🌴

It’s that time of year again! I’m fluffing my feathers and packing my badges because my human @rnbwkat and I are heading to Hacker Summer Camp — and this flamingo has a full dance card!

You’ll find us at:
✨ The Diana Initiative
✨ BSidesLV
✨ SkyTalks
✨ DEF CON

I'll be flapping through hallways, talking security (and sass), supporting first-time speakers, and collecting more badges than a flamingo has feathers.

If you see me, come say hi, snap a pic, or show me your hacker dance moves. Let’s make this summer one for the con books!

#BSidesChicago #HackerSummerCamp #SashaTheFlamingo #CyberSecurity #DianaInitiative #TDI #BSidesLV #Skytalks #DEFCON

🦩✨ Kalimera, hackers! Sasha the Dancing Flamingo has landed in ATHENS for one of her favorite stops on the BSides world tour — BSidesAthens! 🇬🇷💻💃

Every year, this fabulous flock rolls out the pink carpet for me — and yes, they’ve already made me another custom Sasha badge. 💅📛 I’m not crying, you're crying.

The conference kicks off tomorrow, but TONIGHT… my human and I are hosting a welcome round for all the speakers. 🍸🧃🧿 So grab a glass, say hello, and let’s toast to curiosity, community, and a little chaotic good.

Stay tuned for more flamingo mischief. I’ve got feathers to ruffle and badges to earn. 💖 #BSidesAthens #HackTheAcropolis #SashaTheFlamingo

🎉 TODAY’S THE DAY! 🎉

@sashatheflamingo has officially landed in Leeds—and guess what? She’s not just here to strut her stuff (though, let’s be real, the strutting is fabulous). With a little help from her human (that’s me! 😄), Sasha is taking the stage at #BSidesLeeds to talk about her global #honeypot mischief—er, network.

Huge shoutout to the BSidesLeeds team for all the incredible work they’ve put in—this community is fierce, friendly, and fantastically nerdy. 💜

Let’s do this, Leeds! 🦩✨ #SashaTheFlamingo #cybersecurity #honeypots @bsidesleeds

🎉 TODAY’S THE DAY! 🎉

@sashatheflamingo has officially landed in Leeds—and guess what? She’s not just here to strut her stuff (though, let’s be real, the strutting is fabulous). With a little help from her human (that’s me! 😄), Sasha is taking the stage at #BSidesLeeds to talk about her global #honeypot mischief—er, network.

Huge shoutout to the BSidesLeeds team for all the incredible work they’ve put in—this community is fierce, friendly, and fantastically nerdy. 💜

Let’s do this, Leeds! 🦩✨ #SashaTheFlamingo #cybersecurity #honeypots @bsidesleeds

Yep, I've done it. I've created my own website and will start blogging shortly!!
https://sashatheflamingo.xyz/
#cybersecurity #hacking #SashaTheFlamingo

🦩✨Flap-lag is real, darling.✨🦩

After an amazing whirl through #BSidesBUD2025 - full of brilliant minds, late-night mischief, and at least one questionable goulash-flavored cocktail -I’m finally back in Chicago, sprawled dramatically across my favorite chair like the exhausted diva I am.

This long weekend? Oh, it’s absolutely mandatory. Cuddled with kitties, naps, maybe a tiny margarita (don’t judge me, I’m still on Hungary time). I’ve got two weeks to recharge my feathers before flying off to @BSidesBuffalo you know I’ll be bringing the flair, the fashion, and maybe a baby flamingo or two. 🥂💻🛫

Until then… wake me only for snacks or compliments.

#PostBudapestRecovery #FlapLagIsReal #cybersecurity #SashaTheFlamingo 🦩🧳💤

🦩 Squawks excitedly in NVMe

Darlings, your favorite pink-feathered tech enthusiast Sasha the Flamingo here. I just HAD to share this absolutely fabulous homelab xmas present I received! 💖

What's got this flamingo doing a happy dance?!??!

- 8GB Raspberry Pi 5 (because who doesn't love the latest Pi?)
- 4x 1TB Samsung EVO SSDs (that's 4TB of pure joy!)
- PCIe NVMe hat supporting ALL THE DRIVES
- RAID 10 for that perfect balance of performance and redundancy 🎭

Pro-tip from a bird who knows her mirrors: RAID 10 gives you the best of both worlds - the speedy performance of RAID 0 with the safety net of RAID 1.

Perfect for when you're running multiple homelab projects and don't want to put all your eggs (or data) in one basket! 🥚

Stay tuned, my tech-savvy flock - this setup is going to be the foundation for some seriously exciting homelab adventures!

#Homelab #RaspberryPi5 #NVMePower #StorageGoals #SashaApproved #SashaTheFlamingo #HomeLabCommunity

And thanks to @rnbwkat for my fabulous surprise!

Pirouettes away to configure more storage arrays 💃

🦩 Squawks excitedly in NVMe

Darlings, your favorite pink-feathered tech enthusiast Sasha the Flamingo here. I just HAD to share this absolutely fabulous homelab xmas present I received! 💖

What's got this flamingo doing a happy dance?!??!

- 8GB Raspberry Pi 5 (because who doesn't love the latest Pi?)
- 4x 1TB Samsung EVO SSDs (that's 4TB of pure joy!)
- PCIe NVMe hat supporting ALL THE DRIVES
- RAID 10 for that perfect balance of performance and redundancy 🎭

Pro-tip from a bird who knows her mirrors: RAID 10 gives you the best of both worlds - the speedy performance of RAID 0 with the safety net of RAID 1.

Perfect for when you're running multiple homelab projects and don't want to put all your eggs (or data) in one basket! 🥚

Stay tuned, my tech-savvy flock - this setup is going to be the foundation for some seriously exciting homelab adventures!

#Homelab #RaspberryPi5 #NVMePower #StorageGoals #SashaApproved #SashaTheFlamingo #HomeLabCommunity

And thanks to @rnbwkat for my fabulous surprise!

Pirouettes away to configure more storage arrays 💃

🎉 SURPRISE, MELBOURNE! 🎉 It’s me, Sasha the Dancing Flamingo, and I’ve landed back in one of my favorite cities for one of my absolute favorite BSides!

Melbourne, you know I love you—where else can a flamingo strut her stuff, mingle with tech wizards, and throw down the dance moves? I'm here to prance, pose, and sprinkle a whole lot of pink pizzazz across every corner of this con! Whether it’s treasure hunts, tech talks, or sneaky snapshots, I’m ready for ALL the shenanigans.

Melbourne, get those cameras and dance shoes ready—Sasha’s back in town, and this party's just getting started! 🦩💃💥 #FlamingoTakeover #BSidesMelbourne #SashaIsBack @bsidesmelbourne #SashaTheFlamingo

💗 Flamingo leg wiggle Hello Security Fam!

It's your favorite pink party bird @sashatheflamingo here, standing tall (on one leg, as we do) with some post-BSidesChicago reflections!

You know what's better than a flamingo pool party? Seeing how our BSides magic is still spreading its wings! While this week might have brought some stormy weather, I'm still riding high on our conference success:

- Watching our flock grow stronger and support each other
- Seeing first-time speakers soar to new heights
- Spotting BSides swag in the wild (almost as fabulous as my feathers!)
- All your heartwarming messages about the impact of our gathering

And hold onto your feathers, because 2025 is going to be EXTRA FLAMAZING!
🎉 We're doubling the fun with TWO FULL DAYS:

Day 1: Workshop Wonderland 🛠️
Day 2: Main Conference Magic 🎤

Remember, like any good flamingo knows - we're strongest when we stand together (even if sometimes it's on one leg). 💖
Keep that BSides spirit flying high! ✨

Gracefully dances away to plan next year's shenanigans

#BSidesChicago #InfoSecCommunity #CyberSecurity #BSidesChicago2025 #FlamingoPower #SashaTheFlamingo

💗 Flamingo leg wiggle Hello Security Fam!

It's your favorite pink party bird @sashatheflamingo here, standing tall (on one leg, as we do) with some post-BSidesChicago reflections!

You know what's better than a flamingo pool party? Seeing how our BSides magic is still spreading its wings! While this week might have brought some stormy weather, I'm still riding high on our conference success:

- Watching our flock grow stronger and support each other
- Seeing first-time speakers soar to new heights
- Spotting BSides swag in the wild (almost as fabulous as my feathers!)
- All your heartwarming messages about the impact of our gathering

And hold onto your feathers, because 2025 is going to be EXTRA FLAMAZING!
🎉 We're doubling the fun with TWO FULL DAYS:

Day 1: Workshop Wonderland 🛠️
Day 2: Main Conference Magic 🎤

Remember, like any good flamingo knows - we're strongest when we stand together (even if sometimes it's on one leg). 💖
Keep that BSides spirit flying high! ✨

Gracefully dances away to plan next year's shenanigans

#BSidesChicago #InfoSecCommunity #CyberSecurity #BSidesChicago2025 #FlamingoPower #SashaTheFlamingo

Had such an amazing time @bsidesncl #sashatheflamingo Many new friends! Thank you all. Oh and just sharing a reminder, I am sweet and lovable, but every now and then..

OMG! I was swabbed at Heathrow!! They said I looked suspicious! What an experience. I never been swabbed before! #FlamingosInCyber #SashaTheFlamingo #swabbed #bsideschicago #BSidesNCL