Top 5 Reasons to Attend Black Hat USA

This post is in response to Alan Shimel’s request to the members of the Security Bloggers Network to list out why they are attending Black Hat.

First off, I’ve been to seven other Black Hat events starting around the year 2000. So what makes me keep coming back? Here are my top 5 reasons to attend Black Hat USA.

1. Excellent Presentations – With 10 different presentation tracks, Black Hat has something for everyone in the information security business. I have always learned a bunch from the Black Hat sessions.
2. Attendees – Expand your network with the 4,000+ delegates from over 50 nations. There are lots of government types attending, and you might be able to get a good war story out of them.
3. Vendor Parties – Would you pass on free drinks? I wonder if a vendor can top last years SPI Dynamics’ party.
4. It’s in Las Vegas! I’m sure you can find something to do if you get bored of all the information security stuff.

Okay, so I only have four reasons. But it really comes down to the first two items on my list. Black Hat invites the best people in the industry to give presentations, and because of this, information security professionals from around the world attend. Black Hat is a great environment to learn and network with your fellow information security professionals.