{"id":42516,"date":"2025-11-21T11:09:03","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T11:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=42516"},"modified":"2025-11-21T11:09:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T11:09:03","slug":"this-hacker-conference-installed-a-literal-anti-virus-monitoring-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2025\/11\/21\/this-hacker-conference-installed-a-literal-anti-virus-monitoring-system\/","title":{"rendered":"This Hacker Conference Installed a Literal Anti-Virus Monitoring System"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Elevated levels of CO<sub>2<\/sub> lead to reduced cognitive ability and facilitate transmission of airborne viruses, which can linger in poorly ventilated spaces for hours. The more CO<sub>2<\/sub> in the air, the more virus-friendly the air becomes, making CO<sub>2<\/sub> data a handy proxy for tracing pathogens. In fact, the Australian Academy of Science described the pollution in indoor air as \u201csomeone else\u2019s breath backwash.\u201d Kawaiicon organizers faced running a large infosec event during a measles outbreak, as well as constantly rolling waves of Covid-19, influenza, and RSV. It\u2019s a familiar pain point for conference organizers frustrated by massive gaps in public health\u2014and lack of control over their venue\u2019s clean air standards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">&#8220;In general, the Michael Fowler venue has a single HVAC system, and uses Farr 30\/30 filters with a rating of MERV-8,\u201d Kawaiicon organizers explained, referencing the filtration choices in the space where the convention was held. MERV-8 is a budget-friendly choice\u2013standard practice for homes. \u201cThe hardest part of the whole process is being limited by what the venue offers,\u201d they explained. \u201cThe venue is older, which means less tech to control air flow, and an older HVAC system.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Kawaiicon\u2019s work began one month before the conference. In early October, organizers deployed a small fleet of 13 RGB Matrix Portal Room CO<sub>2<\/sub> Monitors, an ambient carbon dioxide monitor DIY project adapted from US electronics and kit company Adafruit Industries. The monitors were connected to an internet-accessible dashboard with live readings, daily highs and lows, and data history that showed attendees in-room CO<sub>2<\/sub> trends. Kawaiicon tested its CO<sub>2<\/sub> monitors in collaboration with researchers from the University of Otago\u2019s public health department.<\/p>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe jtooe callout--has-top-border\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><picture class=\"ResponsiveImagePicture-cGZhnX jwYQWO AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bda3e3d221364b27c66\/master\/w_120,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-06-123838_002.png 120w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bda3e3d221364b27c66\/master\/w_240,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-06-123838_002.png 240w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bda3e3d221364b27c66\/master\/w_320,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-06-123838_002.png 320w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bda3e3d221364b27c66\/master\/w_640,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-06-123838_002.png 640w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bda3e3d221364b27c66\/master\/w_960,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-06-123838_002.png 960w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bda3e3d221364b27c66\/master\/w_1280,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-06-123838_002.png 1280w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bda3e3d221364b27c66\/master\/w_1600,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-06-123838_002.png 1600w\" sizes=\"100vw\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/This-Hacker-Conference-Installed-a-Literal-Anti-Virus-Monitoring-System.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"\/><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionCredit-eowWKH deqABF kpqIso gxwcqg caption__credit\">Courtesy of Violet Blue<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paywall\">\u201cThat\u2019s awesome,\u201d says Adafruit founder and engineer Limor \u201cLadyada\u201d Fried about the conference\u2019s adaptation of the Matrix Portal project. \u201cThe best part is seeing folks pick up new skills and really understand how we measure and monitor air quality in the real world (like at a con during a measles flare-up)! Hackers and makers are able to be self-reliant when it comes to their public-health information needs.\u201d (For the full specs of the Kawaiicon build, you can check out the GitHub repository here.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">The Michael Fowler Centre is a spectacular blend of Scandinavian brutalism and interior woodwork designed to enhance sound and air, including two grand pou\u2014carved M\u0101ori totems\u2014next to the main entrance that rise through to the upper foyers. Its cathedral-like acoustics posed a challenge to Kawaiicon\u2019s air-hacking crew, which they solved by placing the RGB monitors in stereo. There were two on each level of the Main Auditorium (four total), two in the Renouf session space on level 1, plus monitors in the daycare and Kuracon (kids\u2019 hacker conference) areas. To top it off, monitors were placed in the Quiet Room, at the Registration Desk, and in the Green Room.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">\u201cThe things we had to consider were typical health and safety, and effective placement (breathing height, multiple monitors for multiple spaces, not near windows\/doors),\u201d a Kawaiicon spokesperson who goes by Sput online told WIRED over email.<\/p>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe jtooe callout--has-top-border\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><picture class=\"ResponsiveImagePicture-cGZhnX jwYQWO AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bdaaf2f18501508f426\/master\/w_120,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-02%20at%204.18.04%20PM.png 120w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bdaaf2f18501508f426\/master\/w_240,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-02%20at%204.18.04%20PM.png 240w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bdaaf2f18501508f426\/master\/w_320,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-02%20at%204.18.04%20PM.png 320w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bdaaf2f18501508f426\/master\/w_640,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-02%20at%204.18.04%20PM.png 640w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bdaaf2f18501508f426\/master\/w_960,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-02%20at%204.18.04%20PM.png 960w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bdaaf2f18501508f426\/master\/w_1280,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-02%20at%204.18.04%20PM.png 1280w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69161bdaaf2f18501508f426\/master\/w_1600,c_limit\/VB%202025-11-02%20at%204.18.04%20PM.png 1600w\" sizes=\"100vw\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763723343_90_This-Hacker-Conference-Installed-a-Literal-Anti-Virus-Monitoring-System.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"\/><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionCredit-eowWKH deqABF kpqIso gxwcqg caption__credit\">Courtesy of Violet Blue<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paywall\">\u201cTo be honest, it is no different than having to consider other accessibility options (e.g., access to venue, access to talks, access to private space for personal needs),\u201d Sput wrote. \u201cBeing a tech-leaning community it is easier for us to get this set up ourselves, or with volunteer help, but definitely not out of reach given how accessible the CO<sub>2<\/sub> monitor tech is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Kawaiicon\u2019s attendees could quickly check the conditions before they arrived and decide how to protect themselves accordingly. At the event, WIRED observed attendees checking CO<sub>2<\/sub> levels on their phones, masking and unmasking in different conference areas, and watching a display of all room readings on a dashboard at the registration desk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Hacker #Conference #Installed #Literal #AntiVirus #Monitoring #System<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elevated levels of CO2 lead to reduced cognitive ability and facilitate transmission of airborne viruses, which can linger in poorly&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42516"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42518,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42516\/revisions\/42518"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}