THUNDERSTORM CHANCES STILL. JULIE AND OMAHA NONPROFIT WANTS TO TEACH YOU HOW TO HACK. KERNEL CON IS AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD HERE IN OMAHA. HACKERS ARE TEACHING PROFESSIONALS FROM ACROSS THE METRO AND THE GLOBE, THE LATEST IN CYBER SECURITY AND PRIVACY. KETV BETH CARLSON LEARNS WHY THEY SAY THIS INNOVATION HAS A HOME HERE IN THE METRO. THAT’S RIGHT. THE WORLD OF PROTECTING PEOPLE AND COMPANY DATA IS EVER CHANGING AND GROWING. BUT ORGANIZERS SAY TO TEACH OMAHA GROUPS TO STAY ON TOP OF THEIR SECURITY, THEY’RE REDEFINING THE TERM HACKING DEFINITION. WE SUBSCRIBE TO. AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT IDENTIFY IN OUR CULTURE SUBSCRIBE TO IS HACKING IS SIMPLY THE COMBINATION OF CURIOSITY AND TECHNOLOGY. AT KERNEL CON, EVERYONE IS A HACKER KEEPING UP THE UP. THE SPEED IS A NEVER ENDING THING. ORGANIZER TIM VITUS IS SUBSCRIBING TO THE IDEA THAT THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY AND DATA IN OMAHA LIES IN THINKING CREATIVELY. A LOT OF THE LARGER VENUES ARE LARGER COMPANIES AROUND OMAHA. THEY ALL HAVE IT DEPARTMENTS, SO THERE’S SOME VERY PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS WHERE THEY WANT TO COME LEARN SOME SKILL, THEY WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE SPEAKER, THEY WANT TO LEARN MORE. THEY’LL ACTUALLY GO BACK AND APPLY IT AT WORK, WHETHER IT’S UNLOCKING A NEW CODING SKILL SET OR REWIRING HOW A COMPANY CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM DATA ATTACKS. HE WANTS OMAHA TO BE A HUB TO HELP KEEP OTHERS SAFE. THIS VENUE IS A HUGE BOON FOR LEARNING AND THE SECURITY AND HACKING SPACE, AND IT REALLY GOES BACK TO THAT CURIOSITY COMPONENT. IT’S ALSO A CHANCE TO TEACH THE NEWEST GENERATION HOW TO CRACK THE CODE INTO THE WORLD OF CYBER SECURITY. OUR KIDS COMING FORWARD, GET THEM TO ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT TECHNOLOGY IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. THEY SAY. POURING RESOURCES INTO OMAHA KEEPS THEM FROM GOING ELSEWHERE. SEE THAT WE CAN DO THESE SORTS OF THINGS IN OMAHA AND THEY CAN SAY, AND THEY CAN APPLY THOSE SKILLS AND THEY CAN SORT OF LEVEL UP THEIR COMPANIES AND, AND MAKE THIS A EVEN BETTER VENUE FOR SORT OF THE NEXT GENERATION. PART OF THAT INNOVATION IS HOSTING RESEARCHERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND OFFERING HANDS ON WORKSHOPS IN DATA SECURITY. THAT CONFERENCE CONTINUES TOMORROW A
‘Combination of curiosity and technology’: Omaha conference highlights hacking as a tool for cybersecurity innovation
Kernelcon, an annual conference held in Omaha, is redefining the term “hacking” to teach professionals from across the metro and the globe the latest in cybersecurity and privacy.
Updated: 10:27 PM CDT Apr 9, 2026
Kernelcon, an annual conference held in Omaha, is redefining the term “hacking” to teach professionals from across the metro and the globe the latest in cybersecurity and privacy.Organizers, like Tim Vidas, said that they consider the term to be where curiosity meets technology. The goal is to make Omaha a hub for cybersecurity innovation.”The venue is a huge boon for learning in the security and hacking space, and it really goes back to that curiosity component,” Vidas said. “A definition we subscribe to, and most of the people that identify in our culture subscribe to is hacking is simply the combination of curiosity and technology.”The convention, which offers lectures from researchers and industry professionals, as well as hands-on opportunities with technology, works with several Omaha companies and groups.”A lot of the larger venues, larger companies around Omaha, they all have IT departments. There’s some very practical applications where they want to come learn some skill, they want to engage with the speaker, they want to learn more. They’ll actually go back and apply it at work,” Vidas said.One cybersecurity expert and convention attendee, Sean Hammond, works with data information and security for schools. He said part of his goal is to make technology and security more accessible.”Our kids coming forward, get them to ask the questions that they want to know about. technology in a safe environment,” Hammond said.Organizers say pouring resources into Omaha keeps the future of the industry from going elsewhere.”We also have local people that are coming up through our education system that can see that we can do these sorts of things in Omaha, and they can stay, and they can apply those skills, and they can sort of level up their companies, and make this an even better venue for sort of the next generation,” Vidas said.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Kernelcon, an annual conference held in Omaha, is redefining the term “hacking” to teach professionals from across the metro and the globe the latest in cybersecurity and privacy.
Organizers, like Tim Vidas, said that they consider the term to be where curiosity meets technology. The goal is to make Omaha a hub for cybersecurity innovation.
“The venue is a huge boon for learning in the security and hacking space, and it really goes back to that curiosity component,” Vidas said. “A definition we subscribe to, and most of the people that identify in our culture subscribe to is hacking is simply the combination of curiosity and technology.”
The convention, which offers lectures from researchers and industry professionals, as well as hands-on opportunities with technology, works with several Omaha companies and groups.
“A lot of the larger venues, larger companies around Omaha, they all have IT departments. There’s some very practical applications where they want to come learn some skill, they want to engage with the speaker, they want to learn more. They’ll actually go back and apply it at work,” Vidas said.
One cybersecurity expert and convention attendee, Sean Hammond, works with data information and security for schools. He said part of his goal is to make technology and security more accessible.
“Our kids coming forward, get them to ask the questions that they want to know about. technology in a safe environment,” Hammond said.
Organizers say pouring resources into Omaha keeps the future of the industry from going elsewhere.
“We also have local people that are coming up through our education system that can see that we can do these sorts of things in Omaha, and they can stay, and they can apply those skills, and they can sort of level up their companies, and make this an even better venue for sort of the next generation,” Vidas said.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Click Here For The Original Source.
