2026 Black Hat and DEF CON Guide: Events, Sessions and Tips for Attendees
Summary
A cybersecurity industry newsletter previews events, startup competitions, sessions, and networking opportunities around Las Vegas’ 2026 Black Hat and DEF CON week, with practical advice for attendees.
Key points
- The guide highlights the CISO Roast, Decibel GameDay, and Black Hat Startup Spotlight competitions among the week's featured events.
- Startup Spotlight entrants will compete in a U.S. event, with the winner advancing to a global competition.
- Decibel GameDay will feature conversations on cyber defense and sophisticated adversaries, alongside networking and company launches.
- The author recommends leaving schedule gaps, keeping outreach concise, and planning time to rest and hydrate.
- The article lists selected parties, sessions, booth stops, and the author's planned appearances.
Article Details
- Topic
- A personal guide to cybersecurity events, competitions, networking, and practical tips during Hacker Summer Camp in Las Vegas.
People
Ashish RajanHost of the CISO Roast and former CISO.Aziz GilaniSpeaker in the VC Horror Stories session.Chenxi WangSpeaker in the VC Horror Stories session.Darwin SalazarAuthor of the Hacker Summer Camp field guide and Head of Growth at Monad.Derek ChamorroHead of Security at Together AI and a participant in the CISO Roast.Elias ManousosListed as part of the Decibel GameDay lineup.Emily O’CarrollField CISO at GuidePoint Security and a participant in the CISO Roast.HD MooreListed as part of the Decibel GameDay lineup.Jacques BenkoskiSpeaker in the Market Entry Strategy for Cybersecurity session.John WattersScheduled for a fireside chat with Kevin Mandia at Legends of Cyber.Kevin MandiaGuest discussing cyber defense at Decibel GameDay; the article says he is building Armadin.Mike PosnerPerformer at the Glow Out Party.Richard ShermanGuest discussing defense at Decibel GameDay.Rishi BhargavaSpeaker in the RIP the Moat; Long Live the Moat session.Rob JoyceFormer NSA cyber director and guest discussing sophisticated adversaries; recently joined OpenAI as a safety and security advisor.Robby RobsonSpeaker in the RIP the Moat; Long Live the Moat session.Robert HansenSpeaker in the RIP the Moat; Long Live the Moat session.Taylor MargotSpeaker in the VC Horror Stories session.Travis McPeakSpeaker in the VC Horror Stories session.Yonesy NúñezCISO of Surf AI and a participant in the CISO Roast.Zach YarmolovichSpeaker in the RIP the Moat; Long Live the Moat session.
Vendors
CloudflareDerek Chamorro is Head of Security at Together AI, with more than 20 years of infrastructure security experience across Together AI and Cloudflare.Clover SecurityOur friends and sponsors at Clover Security will be at booth 4731 and appear to be serving matcha ice cream.DatadogCybersecurity Pulse (TCP)! I’m Darwin Salazar, Head of Growth at Monad and former detection engineer at Datadog. Each week, I bring you the latest security innovation and industry news. Subscribe to receive weeklyGuidePoint SecurityEmily O’Carroll is a Field CISO at GuidePoint Security.KPMGShe previously spent nearly a decade building the security program at Topgolf Callaway Brands after an earlier decade advising Fortune 50 companies at KPMG.MonadWelcome to The Cybersecurity Pulse (TCP)! I’m Darwin Salazar, Head of Growth at Monad and former detection engineer at Datadog. Each week, I bring you the latest security innovation and industry news. Subscribe toSurf AIYonesy Núñez is the CISO of Surf AI, a six-time CISO, board director, and named inventor on four U.S.Together AIDerek Chamorro is Head of Security at Together AI, with more than 20 years of infrastructure security experience across Together AI and Cloudflare.