Cybersecurity conferences serve a function that no amount of online research can replicate. They are where vulnerability research goes public before patch cycles close the window. They are where practitioners learn techniques from peers who have used them in production environments. They are where regulatory direction is signalled before it becomes formal guidance and where the industry builds the professional relationships that drive collaboration during actual incidents. The second half of 2026 has an unusually strong slate and the events described below represent the most significant gatherings for different segments of the security community across different regions.

Black Hat USA 2026 and DEF CON 34

Dates: Black Hat August 1 to 6, 2026. DEF CON 34 August 6 to 9, 2026.

Location: Mandalay Bay Convention Center and Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

The first full week of August in Las Vegas is the densest concentration of security research, talent and expertise in the annual calendar. Black Hat USA 2026 runs six days: four days of intensive technical trainings from August 1 to 4 followed by two days of peer-reviewed Briefings on August 5 and 6 where the year’s most consequential offensive and defensive research is presented publicly for the first time. The Business Hall, Arsenal tool demonstrations and dedicated Summits including a CISO Summit run in parallel. Now in its 29th edition, Black Hat USA draws security researchers, practitioners, CISOs, red teamers and vendors from around the world. Briefings passes start at approximately 2,195 US dollars. Training passes are additional.

DEF CON 34 begins the moment Black Hat ends, on August 6, continuing through August 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. DEF CON is the world’s largest hacker conference, oriented toward practitioners, researchers and enthusiasts rather than enterprise buyers and executives. Its villages, talks and competitions are technically intensive and community-driven. Attending both events in the same week is logistically demanding and professionally unmatched. Official information for Black Hat USA 2026 is at blackhat.com/us-26.

CYBERSEC EXPO and FORUM 2026

Dates: Already passed — June 15 to 16, 2026

Location: International Congress Centre, Warsaw, Poland.

CYBERSEC is the leading Central and Eastern European cybersecurity policy and strategy conference, drawing government officials, regulators, military and enterprise security leaders. The 2026 edition ran on exactly the current date and focused on geopolitical cyber dimensions, critical infrastructure protection and the regulatory framework emerging from EU NIS2 implementation. It is noted here because its proceedings and recordings represent some of the most relevant policy-facing content of the year for European practitioners, and materials are typically published on the official site at cybersecforum.eu within weeks of the event.

FIRST Conference 2026

Dates: June 14 to 19, 2026

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark.

The 38th Annual Conference of the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams ran this week in Copenhagen. FIRST is the premier global event for computer security incident response professionals, bringing together national CERTs, government security teams and private sector incident responders. Its focus is on operational incident response practice, threat intelligence sharing and coordination between the global community of teams that respond to major incidents. The FIRST organisation maintains its official conference archive at first.org for those who did not attend in person.

CYBERUK 2026 — UK Government Flagship Event

Dates: April 21 to 23, 2026

Location: Manchester Central, Manchester, United Kingdom.

CYBERUK is the UK National Cyber Security Centre’s flagship annual event and the most significant government-convened cybersecurity gathering in the UK calendar. The 2026 edition marked the NCSC’s 10th anniversary year, returning to Manchester Central with over 2,000 cybersecurity leaders and professionals. The conference explored themes of transforming resilience and countering threats through plenaries, panels, workshops and technical masterclasses. Official content including keynote recordings and session summaries is available through the NCSC at ncsc.gov.uk.

Upcoming: GITEX Global 2026

Dates: October 2026 (exact dates to be confirmed on official site).

Location: Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE.

GITEX Global is the world’s largest technology and AI event and the most significant cybersecurity gathering in the Middle East. The 2025 edition drew more than 6,800 exhibiting organisations from 180 countries, 2,000 startups, 1,200 investors representing 1.1 trillion US dollars in assets under management and over 40 unicorns. The cybersecurity track at GITEX 2025 was the largest in the event’s history with 148 sessions and workshops dedicated to AI-driven defence alone. The 2026 edition is expected to be held in October and will again run the dedicated GITEX Cyber Valley zone which houses the region’s most significant cybersecurity announcements. Official registration and dates are published at gitex.com.

Upcoming: Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit

Dates: November 9 to 10, 2026.

Location: Washington D.C., USA.

The Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit is the premier executive-focused cybersecurity event in the US, drawing CISOs, risk officers and senior security leaders who are responsible for strategic decision-making rather than technical execution. The 2026 edition in Washington D.C. features keynote presentations, Gartner analyst insights, workshops and case studies oriented toward governance, risk quantification, board reporting and investment prioritisation. The Washington D.C. location gives the event particular significance in a year when US federal cybersecurity regulation is actively evolving. Details are at gartner.com/en/conferences/na/security-risk-management-us.

Upcoming: Black Hat Europe 2026

Dates: December 2026 (exact dates to be confirmed).

Location: ExCeL London, United Kingdom.

Black Hat Europe follows the format of Black Hat USA with multi-day technical trainings followed by Briefings presenting peer-reviewed security research. The European edition draws a strong contingent of practitioners and researchers from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and typically surfaces research with particular relevance to the European regulatory environment. ExCeL London has hosted the event since 2019. Registration and schedule details are published at blackhat.com/eu-26 as the date approaches.

Quick Reference: Key Events at a Glance

Event	Dates	Location	Primary Audience
Black Hat USA 2026	Aug 1 to 6, 2026	Las Vegas, USA	Researchers, practitioners, security engineers, CISOs
DEF CON 34	Aug 6 to 9, 2026	Las Vegas, USA	Hackers, researchers, practitioners, enthusiasts
Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit	Nov 9 to 10, 2026	Washington D.C., USA	CISOs, risk officers, senior executives
Black Hat Europe 2026	December 2026 (TBC)	London, UK	Researchers, practitioners, security engineers
GITEX Global 2026	October 2026 (TBC)	Dubai, UAE	Vendors, CISOs, investors, government, startups

For events where exact dates for 2026 have not yet been confirmed on official sites, the months given above are based on established annual schedules and should be verified directly with organisers before booking travel. All official registration links and programme details are published on the respective event websites listed above.

The events that have already taken place this year, including CYBERUK, Infosecurity Europe, the FIRST Conference and CYBERSEC, are worth consulting for their published proceedings, keynote recordings and session summaries. The insights from these events inform the threat discussions and regulatory developments that will shape the second half of 2026 and practitioners who did not attend in person can access much of the substantive content through official channels.