CactusCon

CactusCon13
February 14-15, 2025
Mesa, AZ

CactusCon Greenhouse

More Information 

Participants will need to bring their own laptop to participate, with either:

  • a Kali Linux VM pre-installed (preferred option), with Nessus Essentials installed and working, or

  • an RDP client installed

  • a hardware network connection (built-in or a dongle) or a wireless connection.

A limited number of pre-built Kali VMs will be provided at each station for you to use.  You will need to connect to them using an RDP client.  Some RDP client options are:

  • A recent Windows laptop with Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection App installed,

  • Microsoft’s Remote Desktop App for Macs,

  • A Linux laptop using Remmina, Vinagre or similar RDP client.


Some other details:

  • Each station will have dedicated WiFi and up to 8 hardwired connections.

  • The stations can be done in any order.

  • At each station the tasks will be presented, and each task will have a walk-through to help you if you get stuck.

  • Gardeners will be rotating around the stations and helping participants if they need help.


This is not a CTF, and it is not a contest.  The purpose is to learn and develop your skills!

This event is for folks who:

  • Have always wanted to be a pentester but need help getting started,

  • Are not pentesters, but want to have a feel for what it is all about,

  • Have been working on some pentesting exercises on their own and just want to sharpen their skills

  • Want a good grounding in some of the pen testing fundamentals.

If you need more information please contact us at ccgreenhouse23@gmail.com!

Note:  this event is for those who are just starting on their pentesting journey.   If you already know the difference between the use of the "-Pn" and the "-PE" flags in nmap, or know how to interact with session number 3 in metasploit, then while there may be some things here that you can learn, you might consider a more advanced challenge than the Greenhouse.  If you had to do a search on these to understand what they mean, then come to the Greenhouse and get your skills growing!