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Black Hat Briefings

Computer security conference

Black Hat Briefings
Summary

Computer security conference

FieldValue
statusActive
genreSecurity Conference
frequencyAnnual
venueVaries
locationUnited States, United Kingdom, Singapore
years_active
first
founder_nameJeff Moss
organisedInforma Festivals
URL

Black Hat Briefings (commonly referred to as Black Hat) is a computer security conference that provides security consulting, training, and briefings to security hackers, corporations, and government agencies around the world. Black Hat brings together a variety of people interested in information security ranging from non-technical individuals, executives, hackers, and security professionals. The conference takes place regularly in Las Vegas, Barcelona, London and Riyadh but has also been hosted in Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. in the past.

History

The first Black Hat was held July 7-10, 1997 in Las Vegas, immediately prior to DEF CON 5. The conference was aimed at the computer industry, promising to give them privileged insight into the minds and motivations of their hacker adversaries. Its organizers stated: "While many conferences focus on information and network security, only the Black Hat Briefings will put your engineers and software programmers face-to-face with today's cutting edge computer security experts and 'hackers'." It was presented by DEF CON Communications and Cambridge Technology Partners. It was founded by Jeff Moss, who also founded DEF CON, and is currently the Conference Chair of the Black Hat Review Board. Black Hat started as a single annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is now held in multiple locations around the world. Black Hat Briefings was acquired by CMP Media, a subsidiary of U.K.-based United Business Media (UBM) in 2005 which was then acquired by Informa Tech in June 2018. After a corporate reorganization in 2025, Black Hat Briefings was moved to the Informa Festivals division.

Components

The conference is composed of three major sections which include briefings, trainings, and arsenal.

Briefings

The Briefings are composed of tracks, covering various topics including reverse engineering, identity and privacy, and hacking. The briefings also contain keynote speeches from leading voices in the information security field, including Robert Lentz, Chief Security Officer, United States Department of Defense; Michael Lynn; Amit Yoran, former Director of the National Cyber Security Division of the Department of Homeland Security; and General Keith B. Alexander, former Director of the National Security Agency and former commander of the United States Cyber Command.

Trainings

Training is offered by various computer security vendors and individual security professionals. The conference has hosted the National Security Agency's information assurance manager course, and various courses by Cisco Systems, Offensive Security, and others.

Arsenal

Arsenal is a portion of the conference dedicated to giving researchers and the open source community a place to showcase their latest open-source information security tools. Arsenal primarily consists of live tool demonstrations in a setting where attendees can ask questions about the tools and sometimes use them. It was added in 2010. ToolsWatch maintains an archive of all Black Hat Briefings Arsenals.

Notable incidents

Michael Lynn presenting a briefing in 2005

Black Hat had historically been known for the antics of its hacker contingent, and the disclosures brought in its talks. In the past, companies have attempted to ban researchers from disclosing vital information about their products. At Black Hat USA in 2005, Cisco Systems tried to stop Michael Lynn from speaking about a vulnerability that he said could let hackers virtually shut down the Internet. However, in recent years, researchers have worked with vendors to resolve issues, and some vendors have challenged hackers to attack their products.

Conference attendees had been known to hijack wireless connections of the hotels, hack hotel television billing systems, and in one instance, deploy a fake automated teller machine in a hotel lobby. In 2009, web sites belonging to a handful of security researchers and groups were hacked and passwords, private e-mails, instant messaging chats, and sensitive documents were exposed on the vandalized site of Dan Kaminsky, days before the conference. During Black Hat USA in 2009, a USB thumb drive that was passed around among attendees was found to be infected with the Conficker virus, and in 2008, three men were expelled for packet sniffing the press room local area network.

Venues, dates, and locations

Black Hat had initially started within the United States but expanded over the years across USA, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Washington DC, and Abu Dhabi:

Conference NameLocationVenueDurationYear
Black Hat Asia 2024SingaporeMarina Bay SandsApril 16 - April 192024
Black Hat Spring Trainings 2024United States, Washington DCWalter E Washington Convention CenterMarch 12 - March 15
Black Hat Europe 2023United Kingdom, LondonExcel LondonDecember 4 - December 72023
Black Hat USA 2023United States, Las Vegas, VirtualMandalay BayAugust 5 - August 10
Black Hat Asia 2023Singapore, VirtualMarina Bay SandsMay 9 - May 12
Black Hat Spring Trainings 2023VirtualN/AMarch 13 - March 16
Black Hat Europe 2022United Kingdom, LondonExcel LondonDecember 5 - December 82022
Black Hat USA 2022United States, Las Vegas, VirtualMandalay BayAugust 6 - August 11
Black Hat Spring Trainings 2022VirtualN/AJune 13 - June 16
Black Hat Asia 2022Singapore, VirtualMarina Bay SandsMay 10 - May 13
Black Hat Europe 2021United Kingdom, LondonExcel LondonNovember 8 - November 112021
Black Hat USA 2021United States, Las Vegas, VirtualMandalay BayJuly 31 - August 5
Black Hat Asia 2021VirtualN/AMay 4 - May 7
Black Hat Spring Trainings 2021VirtualN/AMarch 15 - March 18
Black Hat Europe 2020VirtualN/ADecember 7 - December 102020
Black Hat Asia 2020VirtualN/ASeptember 29 - October 2
Black Hat USA 2020VirtualN/AAugust 1 - August 6
Black Hat Europe 2019United Kingdom, LondonExcel LondonDecember 2 - December 52019
Black Hat Trainings 2019United States, AlexandriaHilton AlexandriaOctober 17 - October 18
Black Hat USA 2019United States, Las VegasMandalay BayAugust 3 - August 8
Black Hat Asia 2019SingaporeMarina Bay SandsMarch 26 - March 29
Black Hat Europe 2018United Kingdom, LondonExcel LondonDecember 3 - December 62018
Black Hat Trainings 2018United States, ChicagoSheraton Grand ChicagoOctober 22 - October 23
Black Hat USA 2018United States, Las VegasMandalay BayAugust 4 - August 9
Black Hat Asia 2018SingaporeMarina Bay SandsMarch 20 - March 23
Black Hat Europe 2017United Kingdom, LondonExcel LondonDecember 4 - December 72017
Black Hat USA 2017United States, Las VegasMandalay BayJuly 22 - July 27
Black Hat Asia 2017SingaporeMarina Bay SandsMarch 28 - March 31
Black Hat Europe 2016United Kingdom, LondonBusiness Design CentreNovember 1 - November 42016
Black Hat USA 2016United States, Las VegasMandalay BayJuly 3 - August 4
Black Hat Asia 2016SingaporeMarina Bay SandsMarch 29 - April 1
Black Hat Europe 2015Netherlands, AmsterdamAmsterdam RAINovember 10 - November 132015
Black Hat USA 2015United States, Las VegasMandalay BayAugust 1 - August 6
Black Hat Asia 2015SingaporeMarina Bay SandsMarch 24 - March 27
Black Hat Trainings 2014United States, PotomocThe Bolger CenterDecember 8 - December 112014
Black Hat Europe 2014Netherlands, AmsterdamAmsterdam RAIOctober 14 - October 17
Black Hat USA 2014United States, Las VegasMandalay BayAugust 2 - August 7
Black Hat Asia 2014SingaporeMarina Bay SandsMarch 25 - March 28
Black Hat USA 2013United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 27 - August 12013
Black Hat Europe 2013Netherlands, AmsterdamGrand Hotel KrasnapolskyMarch 12 - March 15
Black Hat USA 2012United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 21 - July 262012
Black Hat Europe 2012Netherlands, AmsterdamGrand KrasnapolskyMarch 14 - March 16
Black Hat USA 2011United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 30 - August 22011
Black Hat DC 2011United States, Crystal CityHyatt RegencyJanuary 16 - January 19
Black Hat USA 2010United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 24 - July 292010
Black Hat DC 2010United States, Crystal CityHyatt RegencyJanuary 31 - February 3
Black Hat USA 2009United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 25 - July 302009
Black Hat DC 2009United States, Crystal CityHyatt RegencyFebruary 16 - February 17
Black Hat USA 2008United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceAugust 2 - August 72008
Black Hat DC 2008United States, Crystal CityWestin Washington DC City CenterFebruary 18 - February 21
Black Hat USA 2007United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 28 - August 22007
Black Hat USA 2006United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 29 - August 32006
Black Hat Federal 2006United States, Crystal CitySheraton Crystal CityJanuary 23 - January 26
Black Hat USA 2005United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 23 - July 282005
Black Hat USA 2004United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 24 - July 292004
Black Hat Federal 2003United States, Tysons CornerSheraton PremiereSeptember 29 - October 22003
Black Hat USA 2003United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 28 - July 31
Black Hat USA 2002United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 29 - August 12002
The Black Hat Briefings '01United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 11 - July 122001
The Black Hat Briefings '00United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 26 - July 272000
The Black Hat Briefings '99United States, Las VegasThe VenetianJuly 7 - July 81999
The Black Hat Briefings '98United States, Las VegasCaesars PalaceJuly 29 - July 301998
The Black Hat BriefingsUnited States, Las VegasUnknownJuly 9 - July 101997

References

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Wikipedia Source

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