Black Hat USA is returning to Las Vegas for a six-day program Aug. 2-7. It’s the 28th iteration of the annual cybersecurity conference, which was founded in 1997 by well-known hacker Jeff Moss (also behind DEF CON). It was then acquired by CMP Media LLC in 2005 for a cool $14 million, and another acquisition in 2018 made Black Hat part of Informa Tech’s global portfolio.
The flagship Black Hat USA event (there’s also Europe and Middle East and Africa iterations throughout the year) is headed to the 2.1 million-square-foot Mandalay Bay Convention Center, as it has since 2023, when it upgraded from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino to the convention space. “This location has continued to work well for Black Hat USA as the event has grown in scale,” said Steve Wylie, vice president and general manager of Black Hat.
“Black Hat will take over nearly all of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center,” Wylie teased of what to expect, adding that “many of our sponsors also host a variety of happy hours and networking events at many of the restaurants within the convention center and throughout Las Vegas.”
While Wylie declined to predict 2025 attendance figures, he pointed to last year’s Black Hat USA, when more than 20,000 cybersecurity professionals, security researchers, developers, venture capitalists, government employees and other cybersecurity experts and enthusiasts attended the event. “We’re hopeful to welcome even more this year,” he told Vendelux.
The number of participating sponsors is also due to increase, with well over 100 companies (including the likes of CrowdStrike, Cisco, Microsoft Security and Google Cloud) listed under Black Hat USA 2025’s “Sponsors” webpage. To accommodate the uptick, Wylie said Black Hat is expanding the size of its “Business Hall,” which serves as the heart of the trade show floor with a central exhibition and networking space.
To consistently attract new and returning business, Wylie said that Black Hat’s planning team prioritizes “top-notch [content]” that “continues to be relevant with our community’s needs in mind.” To do so, Black Hat has a review board with more than 50 leaders in the cybersecurity space.
Here’s a look at what’s fresh for Black Hat USA 2025…
- The upcoming conference will boast expanded “Summit” programming—which are a series of full- or half-day events that focus on specialized topics—to include the inaugural Financial Services Summit at Black Hat USA.
The Financial Services Summit is a full-day event taking place on Aug. 5 that targets cybersecurity leaders in the financial sector. Per the day’s agenda, expert-led presentations from former US Department of Homeland Security attorney Allison Jetton, Coinbase chief security officer Philip Martin and Robinhood’s chief information security officer, brokerage and money David Schwed, just to name a few, will dive into emerging threats, cutting-edge technologies and relevant innovations on the horizon.
- Attendees can also expect a more robust keynote experience.
“Traditionally, our events have featured one opening keynote on each main day of the event,” Wylie said. “But this year, we’re upleveling our keynote programming to provide attendees additional opportunities to hear from key industry leaders across both main days of the conference.”
The Aug. 6 opening keynote from WithSecure’s chief research officer, Mikko Hypponen, in the Michelob ULTRA Arena is already among the most buzzed-about sessions of Black Hat USA 2025, per Wylie. He also teased that attendees seem to be especially excited for a keynote courtesy of Nicole Perlroth, the founding partner at Silver Buckshot Ventures, on Aug. 7
Across those two days, there will also be four main-stage presentations.
Though not new, the Black Hat Startup Spotlight Competition is consistently a highlight of the event. This year, it’s slated for Aug. 7. Hundreds of companies less than five years old and with less than 50 employees submitted their applications earlier this summer and four finalists were announced this month: FireTail, Keep Aware, Prime Security and Twine Security. These startups will go on to compete in what Wylie described as “a pitch competition for cybersecurity startup companies to present their products and solutions in front of a live audience at Black Hat.”
All finalists will receive a free exhibitor spot within a Startup Spotlight Competition booth on the expo floor. “Black Hat USA also has a very large Startup City in the Business Hall to feature startups,” Wylie noted.
For first-timers headed to Black Hat this year, Wylie suggested taking advantage of the Day Zero program on Aug. 5. “[It] is a great way for first-time attendees to get introduced to the event and understand how to maximize their time at the event,” he said. Day Zero’s landing page promises networking “with key community members” alongside refreshments, games and raffles.
And like any good trade show attendee, “we also recommend first-time attendees review our ‘Conference at a Glance’ [online agenda] for an idea of what content takes place on each day of the event,” Wylie said. In addition, “make sure to wear comfortable shoes and plan for lots of walking. The venue is large so it can be helpful to give yourself extra time to navigate the space.”
Registration is still open, with in-person “Briefings” passes (which provide full conference access) available for $2,899. An on-demand pass is currently going for $1,499. These prices are available through July 18, at which point late pricing goes to $3,199 and $1,699, respectively.
