It’s a wild time for cybercrime. In only a few short years, the industry has seen some inventive, fascinating, and sometimes terrifying developments. Every week, there is a new headline: a ransomware attack on a hospital, a state-sponsored data breach, or a highly publicized social media account takeover. Even for professionals in the field, keeping up with new threats requires fastidious effort, community, and resources.
From the biggest events to the smallest gatherings, cybersecurity conferences are more than just a place to hang out for the week and take new headshots for the LinkedIn profile—they are places where the industry’s biggest and best minds come together to share research, discuss trends and topical vulnerabilities, and preview new technology that may prove indispensable in the war against cybercrime.
A few major conferences this year have already wrapped (you can review materials from the RSA Conference even if you didn’t make it), but several notable conferences are still on the schedule for the second half of 2025.
Black Hat USA 2025
Dates: August 2-7, 2025
Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
Black Hat events are internationally known and recognized for providing training and briefings that emphasize technical and topical information in the field of IT research. Black Hat is for professionals of all career levels. This year’s conference in Vegas will take place over six days, starting with four days of in-depth cybersecurity training. Summit day will be on August 5th, followed by the main conference on August 6th and 7th.
Visit Black Hat USA 2025
DEF CON 33
Dates: August 7 – 10, 2025
Location: Las Vegas, NV
As soon as Black Hat wraps, pop over to the Las Vegas Convention Center for DEF CON 33, the legendary hacking conference. While DEF CON was created by a hacker (Jeff Moss, a.k.a. Dark Tangent) for hackers, today, the conference is a gathering place for cybersecurity professionals, researchers, journalists, lawyers, and government employees. Hacking competitions are still part of the fabric of the conference. However, attendees can also find various trainings, workshops, vendors, and more.
Visit DEF CON 33
Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit 2025
U.S. Dates: June 9-11 | U.K. Dates: September 22-24 2025
Location: National Harbor, MD, USA | London, U.K.
Gartner conferences are known for seamlessly blending thought leadership with actionable strategy. This year’s Security & Risk Management Summit will cover various essential security topics, including cyber-risk management, AI, and cybersecurity leadership through today’s geopolitical uncertainty.
Not available the second week of June? The U.K. branch of the summit will be held in London from September 22-24 and address the same topics with different regional professionals.
Visit the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit U.S.
Visit the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit London
16th Annual Billington CyberSecurity Summit
Dates: September 9-12
Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.
The Billington CyberSecurity Conference is one of the best annual gatherings for professionals in or adjacent to government IT roles. This year’s event will feature more than 200 speakers and 40 sessions and breakouts. They will focus on emerging cyber threats, exploring best practices, and shaping the future of cybersecurity in the public sector.
Visit the 16th Annual Billington CyberSecurity Summit
Tips for Making the Most of Cybersecurity Conferences
Whether you’re heading to Vegas, London, or joining from your home office remotely, there are a few ways to maximize conference attendance. After all, showing up is only the first step.
- Arrive prepared with a fully charged laptop, backup battery, and business cards. For any training you plan to participate in, check prerequisites and review foundational material before attending.
- The amount of information available at bigger conferences can be overwhelming, so plan ahead. Check agendas early, decide on must-see briefings and talks, and build in free time for exploring, surprise activities, or long lunches.
- Don’t forget about networking! A huge part of conference attendance is the friends, colleagues, and potential mentors you may meet. Don’t just shake hands with new people you meet—ask questions, share your experiences, and exchange contact information.
- Write things down. Learning doesn’t happen by pure osmosis. Bring a notebook and write down thoughts, ideas, inspiration, or new insight that strikes you throughout the conference. You’ll remember it better and be able to incorporate it later.
Hopefully, you’ll make it to one of these heavy-hitting conferences in person. Even if you can only attend seminars from afar or read insights from training sessions post-event, use every resource available. It’s more important now than ever to stay connected with developments in the industry.