Hello, dear friends. The past few days have been extremely hard on the OpenSOC Team. We hope this isn't the first time you're hearing of this, but a beloved friend of our team, devnull (aka Nolan Berry), passed away this past Friday, November 9, 2018. I'd try to find the words to express our sadness, but it would be an exercise in futility.
devnull was a friend to many people around the world, and amongst the many impressions he made on countless individuals throughout his life, one of his most recent was as a coordinator of the Blue Team Village at DEF CON 26. Our "little" village was a huge success, and much of it due to devnull's tireless work to keep the village fun and entertaining.
He helped the OpenSOC team deliver one of our largest events - something that would have been tougher without his positive presence every day. We saw him again at the Texas Cyber Summit, and let's just say his presence was yet again a wave of relief.
Despite crazy schedules and over-capacity rooms, devnull's attitude was always "How can we make this as much fun as possible?". He embodied a true hacker spirit, and will remain a role model for many of us for many years to come.
In remembrance of devnull and his impact to Blue Teamers around the world, it's with a heavy heart - and a sly smile - that I introduce our newest OpenSOC scenario: Neutrino_Cannon. That was the name of devnull's CTF team, and we felt that crafting a scenario that embodied some of his experiences and knowledge was a fitting way to remember him and keep him a part of our events.
He was one of our closest friends before, during, and after our events. He remains someone we think about daily. We didn't lose a friend, we lost the guy you call at 3 in the morning when the world is crashing down. We didn't lose a friend, we lost a warrior and a brother in arms.
Nolan, we miss you. Rest in peace brother - we'll continue hacking in your name.
And, for the record, a hot dog is not a sandwich. <3
Nolan's Obituary can be found here.