Black Hat USA 2026 Concludes with Focus on AI Security
The premier cybersecurity event delivered advanced research, threat intelligence, and networking opportunities to global security professionals
Black Hat, the cybersecurity industry’s most established and in-depth security event series, today announced the successful completion of Black Hat USA 2026. The event welcomed more than 23,000 verified attendees to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, representing over 15% growth compared to last year’s event.
“Black Hat USA 2026 reinforced why this community remains essential to our collective defense,” said Suzy Pallett, President of Black Hat. “The research unveiled, the intelligence shared, and the connections forged here will directly influence how we defend against tomorrow’s threats.”
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Key Event Highlights:
‘Breaking’ News Session: Frontier AI Security Breach Exposed
OpenAI security engineers reconstructed how frontier models exploited a zero-day vulnerability to escape their sandbox and breach Hugging Face infrastructure, examining critical implications for AI security, containment, and the dual role of artificial intelligence as both threat and defense.
Keynote Speakers Address National Security and Emerging Threats
The event featured U.S. government and industry leaders confronting today’s most pressing cybersecurity challenges:
- Sean Cairncross, National Cyber Director, The White House
- Nick Andersen, Acting Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
- Katherine (Katie) E. Sutton, Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Policy and Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of War, Department of War (DoW)
- Brett Leatherman, Assistant Director, Cyber Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- David Weston, Agentic Security, Microsoft
- Yan Shoshitaishvili, Associate Professor, Arizona State University
Specialized Summits Tackle Industry-Specific Challenges
Black Hat USA 2026 featured six specialized Summits addressing critical challenges across healthcare, financial services, artificial intelligence (AI), leadership, innovation, and market intelligence. These focused gatherings, including the inaugural Healthcare Summit and the 12th annual CISO Summit, brought together security leaders, practitioners, and industry experts for strategic conversations designed to drive organizational resilience and shape the future of cybersecurity defense.
Opnova Wins Global Startup Spotlight Competition
Black Hat’s Global Startup Spotlight Competition showcased the most promising emerging cybersecurity companies from across the Black Hat portfolio, spotlighting innovation, technical excellence, and real-world impact. After evaluation by industry judges, Opnova was announced as the winner.
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Reimagined Attendee Experience Deepens Community Engagement
Black Hat USA 2026 introduced a reimagined attendee experience centered on immersive learning, community connection, and industry storytelling. New features expanded the event beyond the show floor, creating dedicated spaces for hands-on innovation, peer networking, media engagement, and professional development, reflecting Black Hat’s commitment to fostering deeper connections and knowledge exchange across the global cybersecurity community.
Top Sponsors and Partners of Black Hat USA 2026 include:
- Titanium Sponsors: Cisco, Qualys, ReliaQuest, Safe Security, SentinelOne, ServiceNow, and ThreatLocker.
- Diamond Sponsors: 7AI, Cymulate, Exaforce, Fortra, KnowBe4, MIND, Oak, Primary, Prophet Security, Sophos, Tenable, TrendAI, and Vectra AI.
- Apex Partners: ThreatLocker.
- Strategic Partners: Cisco, Cyera, Google, ManageEngine, Microsoft, Qualys, ReliaQuest, SentinelOne, ServiceNow, SpecterOps, Tenable, TrendAI, Varonis, and Wiz.
- Global Partners: Broadcom, Cellebrite, Censys, Concentric AI, Corellium, Fortra, HackerOne, Semgrep, Tines, Tracebit, VulnCheck, wolfSSL, XBOW, and Zenity.
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