Executive Navigation Guide: Hacker Summer Camp 2025

Security Careers

06 Aug 2025 — 6 min read

CISO and Security Executive's Strategic Conference Playbook

TL;DR: BSides Las Vegas concludes today (August 6), Black Hat USA runs August 6-7, and DEF CON 33 follows August 7-10. This guide prioritizes high-value executive sessions, strategic networking opportunities, and actionable intelligence gathering for security leaders.

Conference Timeline & Strategic Overview

BSides Las Vegas 2025 (Concluding Today)

Dates: August 4-6, 2025 (final day today)
Venue: Tuscany Suites & Casino
Executive Value: Community-driven insights, grassroots innovation
Status: If not already attending, focus on Black Hat and DEF CON

Black Hat USA 2025 (Active Now)

Dates: August 6-7, 2025 (main conference)
Venue: Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Executive Focus: High-level briefings, vendor ecosystem, CISO networking
Investment Level: HIGH - Premier enterprise security event

Black Hat

DEF CON 33 (Starting Tomorrow)

Dates: August 7-10, 2025
Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center
Executive Value: Threat intelligence, emerging attack vectors, cultural immersion
Investment Level: MEDIUM - Selective attendance for threat awareness

Complete DEF CON 33 Villages Guide

DEF CON 33 | August 7-10, 2025 | Las Vegas Convention Center DEF CON® Hacking Conference - VillagesVillagesDEF CON SocialDEFCON.social = The intersection of technology and society, a community for artists, hackers, policy, academics, researchers, infosec, activists & cyberpunksMastodon hosted on defcon.socialInfosec ExchangeA Mastodon instance for info/cyber security-minded people.Mastodon hosted

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Black Hat USA 2025: Executive Priority Matrix

🎯 MUST-ATTEND: CISO Summit (August 5)

Status: Application required, limited seats

Format: Chatham House Rule (confidential discussions)
Value Proposition: Peer benchmarking with Fortune 500 CISOs
Key Topics: Board communication, risk governance, threat intelligence
Networking: Exclusive executive breakfast, lunch, and reception
ROI: Strategic insights from peer organizations facing similar challenges

📊 HIGH-VALUE Summits (August 5)

Financial Services Summit (NEW for 2025)

Target Audience: Financial sector security leaders
Focus: Sector-specific threats, regulatory compliance, resilience strategies

AI Summit (2nd Annual)

Strategic Importance: AI as defense tool vs. threat vector
Sponsors: Protect AI, Crogl, Trend Micro, World Wide Technology
Executive Takeaway: AI governance frameworks, risk mitigation

Innovators & Investors Summit (2nd Annual)

Focus: M&A trends, startup valuations, technology innovation
Network Value: Entrepreneurs, investors, security pioneers

🔍 Micro Summits (During Main Conference)

Cyber Insurance Micro Summit - Wednesday, August 6
Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Micro Summit - Thursday, August 7
Supply Chain Micro Summit - Thursday, August 7

Executive Session Selection Strategy

Wednesday, August 6 - Day 1 Priorities

Morning Focus: Threat Landscape & Intelligence

Prioritize briefings on nation-state threats, ransomware evolution
Focus on sessions with actionable threat intelligence
Attend vendor sessions from Titanium sponsors (CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Qualys)

Afternoon Focus: Business Hall Strategic Engagements

Titanium Sponsors: Armis, CrowdStrike, Qualys, SentinelOne, ThreatLocker
Diamond Sponsors: Google Cloud, Palo Alto Networks, Tenable, Trend Micro
Schedule 1:1 meetings with strategic vendor partners
Evaluate emerging technologies from startup ecosystem

Thursday, August 7 - Day 2 Priorities

Morning: Compliance & Governance Sessions

Focus on regulatory changes, board reporting frameworks
Supply Chain Micro Summit attendance
Arsenal demonstrations of open-source security tools

Afternoon: Strategic Planning & Transition to DEF CON

Final vendor meetings and contract discussions
Transition planning for DEF CON 33 selective attendance

Navigating the Overwhelming Universe of DEF CON 33: A Survival Guide for First-Timers

Alex stared at the massive Las Vegas Convention Center, badge hanging around their neck, feeling like a deer in headlights. The Hacker Tracker app showed 300+ events across 4 days, 33 villages, and enough talks to make their head spin. Sound familiar? If you’re reading this, you’re probably in the

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DEF CON 33: Strategic Intelligence Gathering

Executive Attendance Strategy

Recommended Approach: Selective 1-2 day engagement with specific intelligence objectives

High-Value Villages for Executives

Adversary Village: Nation-state attack simulations, purple teaming
AI Village: Emerging AI threats and defensive techniques
Social Engineering Village: Executive protection awareness
Aerospace Village: Critical infrastructure security
IoT Village: Device security in enterprise environments

Executive Protection & Operational Security

Physical Security: Heightened OPSEC awareness in hacker-dense environment
Device Security: Dedicated "burner" devices for conference use
Information Sharing: Careful control of organization-specific details
Social Engineering Awareness: Increased vigilance during networking

Transportation Between Venues

Black Hat (Mandalay Bay) ↔ DEF CON (Las Vegas Convention Center)
- Las Vegas Monorail: MGM Grand → Convention Center (15-20 minutes)
- Taxi/Rideshare: 10-15 minutes, higher cost during peak
- Private car service recommended for executive schedule flexibility

Climate Considerations

Temperature: 100-106°F (37-41°C) - extreme heat
Hydration Strategy: Critical for outdoor transitions
Venue Planning: Prioritize indoor networking and meeting spaces

Hotel Recommendations

For Black Hat Access:

Mandalay Bay (conference venue)
Luxor (monorail accessible)
MGM Grand (monorail hub)

For DEF CON Access:

Hotels near Las Vegas Convention Center
Sahara, Venetian (DEF CON blocks available)

Networking & ROI Maximization

Pre-Conference Preparation

Download HackerTracker app for real-time schedule management
Schedule vendor meetings via official conference platforms
Prepare elevator pitch focused on strategic security challenges
Research speaking roster for targeted networking opportunities

Executive Networking Events

Black Hat Executive Reception (CISO Summit attendees)
Vendor-hosted evening events (invitation-based)
Splunk AfterParty (co-hosted with Cisco and Contrast Security) - August 6 at Allegiant Stadium

Strategic Partnership Development

Focus on solutions addressing board-level security concerns
Evaluate vendors with strong compliance and governance frameworks
Assess emerging technologies for competitive advantage

Intelligence Collection Framework

Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIRs)

Threat Landscape Evolution: New attack vectors, TTPs, threat actor capabilities
Regulatory Changes: Emerging compliance requirements, enforcement trends
Technology Innovation: Breakthrough defensive technologies, AI applications
Industry Benchmarking: Peer organization security postures, budget allocations
Vendor Ecosystem: New entrants, M&A activity, strategic partnerships

Information Synthesis Strategy

Daily intelligence briefings to executive team
Structured note-taking for actionable insights
Vendor evaluation matrices for procurement decisions
Threat intelligence integration into existing security programs

Budget & Resource Allocation

Conference Investment Breakdown

Black Hat CISO Summit: $2,000-3,000 (if available)
Black Hat Business Hall Pass: $795
DEF CON 33: $540-580 (if attending)
Additional: Travel, accommodation, meals ($5,000-8,000 total)

ROI Metrics

Number of strategic vendor relationships established
Actionable threat intelligence collected
Regulatory compliance insights gained
Peer network expansion quantified
Technology evaluation pipeline populated

Post-Conference Action Items

Immediate (Week 1)

Executive briefing to board/senior leadership
Threat intelligence integration into security operations
Vendor evaluation process initiation
Internal security awareness campaign planning

Medium-term (Month 1)

Strategic security roadmap updates
Budget allocation adjustments based on new intelligence
Technology pilot program design
Compliance framework enhancements

Long-term (Quarter 1)

Security posture improvements implementation
Vendor selection and contract negotiations
Security awareness program rollout
Board reporting framework updates

Emergency Contacts & Resources

Conference Support

Black Hat Registration: blackhatregistration@informa.com | +1.415.947.6846
DEF CON Support: Check defcon.org for current contact information

Medical & Emergency

Emergency Services: 911
Las Vegas Medical: University Medical Center, Sunrise Hospital
Conference First Aid: Available at venue medical stations

Executive Decision Framework

Go/No-Go Criteria for Events

✅ Attend if: Direct relevance to organizational security strategy ✅ Attend if: High-level peer networking opportunities ✅ Attend if: Vendor sessions from strategic partners ⚠️ Consider if: Technical content applicable to security leadership ❌ Skip if: Purely technical implementation details ❌ Skip if: Low-level hacking demonstrations without strategic value

This guide prioritizes executive-level value extraction from Hacker Summer Camp 2025. Focus on strategic intelligence, high-value networking, and actionable insights that directly support organizational security objectives and board-level communication requirements.