Why does Black Hat matter?

Welcome to the new 55 cyber warriors who joined us last week. Explore our weekly delivery of inspiration, insights, and exclusive interviews from the global BHMEA community of cybersecurity leaders.

Keep up with our weekly newsletters on LinkedIn — subscribe here. 

Discover insights and exclusive interviews with the global Black Hat MEA community, in your inbox every week. 

This week we’re focused on…

Why Black Hat MEA matters. 

Why?

Because it’s easy to get caught up in the drudgery of everyday work and forget that stepping outside and connecting with other practitioners is worth your time. Because new threats are emerging every day. And because time and time again, leading minds in cybersecurity tell us that collaboration and knowledge-sharing are absolutely key to a resilient future. 

Staying connected and up-to-date is necessary. And doing it in an environment where you also get to be inspired, encouraged, re-energised? In our (obviously slightly biased) opinion, there’s nothing better. 

Jennifer Ewbank (Founder of Andaman Strategic Advisors and former Deputy Director of Digital Innovation for the CIA) puts it succinctly: 

"Events like Black Hat are really essential for the cybersecurity community, because it’s where everyone comes to gather, it’s where you meet new partners, you learn about new technology, and you build relationships. And business works on relationships, so having that human connection makes all the difference."

Community and networking holds an intangible power 

Jennifer’s right: one of the top reasons why Black Hat MEA is so valuable is the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with others in the field. We don’t need to tell you this – as a cybersecurity professional you often work in high-pressure, fast-paced environments that leave little time for networking. 

Adam Holland (CISO at Wendy’s) emphasises this point: "Events like Black Hat are important to the cybersecurity community because the work, the day, the busyness, keep us so busy and at times distracted from one another. It’s a chance to come together, learn from each other, learn about things we haven’t thought about, and continue to bring a strong community. It’s a big industry but a small community in cybersecurity, and it’s an advantage to keep that community strong."

The close-knit nature of the cybersecurity industry means that practitioners and business leaders rely on one another to share best practices, discuss emerging threats, and collectively strengthen the security landscape. Ramy Houssaini (Chair of the Cyber Poverty Line Institute) agrees: "We need to stay on the treadmill, we need to engage with the community, we need to inspire new generations of cybersecurity leaders. I find all of this at Black Hat, it’s been an engaging event and I’m definitely excited by the energy."

Learning from the people who’ve done it before you

Cybersecurity gatherings provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in the industry. Whether it’s through keynotes, technical briefings, or hands-on training sessions, you get access to insights you can’t find elsewhere. 

According to Jaya Baloo (COO and Co-founder at Stealth Startup), Black Hat MEA allows a couple of things to happen. “First, you have excellent contact with speakers who are talking about different areas of the field that are not just relevant to attendees, but they’re usually cutting edge,” she says. “They’re usually things that the speaker themselves has worked on or is working on. So there’s a lot of experience that comes along with these talks – not just theoretical, there’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears behind it."

And beyond just attending talks, events serve as a bridge between theoretical research and practical implementation. Baloo adds, "Then you have a lot of the vendor community here, so you have this ability to connect what a theoretical approach is to actual vendors who may be able to implement it for you. Then you combine that with networking and meeting other people, and you have the perfect storm to learn as quickly as possible about cybersecurity subjects."

Bridging the talent gap

As cybersecurity threats grow in complexity, the industry faces a persistent challenge: the talent gap. There aren’t enough skilled professionals to fill the increasing number of cybersecurity roles. And large-scale events play a really important role in addressing this issue – bringing together practitioners at every stage of their career to develop initiatives and processes that will bring more talent into the field. 

Chris Carter (aka Umar, Head of Cybersecurity at Captive Resources) highlights the importance of diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity: "I think events like Black Hat MEA are important for cybersecurity because as the world continues to shrink and as we continue to grow the cybersecurity space, we need a diverse set of talent that will enable us to tackle the threats that we face on a daily basis, sometimes an hourly basis."

A meeting ground for policymakers, innovators, and industry leaders 

Cybersecurity isn’t just a concern for IT professionals. It impacts businesses, governments, and reaches into every corner of society. Ning Wang (CEO at Offsec) underscores the role of conferences in bringing together key stakeholders: 

"Cybersecurity is really important. It impacts businesses, governments, and everyone that lives in the digital world. And in order for the digital world to be safer and more secure, it takes everyone – the people using it, the people building products, the people regulating it, setting policy. A conference like this brings people together from all walks of life to share ideas, to share what works and what doesn’t, to innovate, and I think it’s critical we have events like this to promote the importance of cybersecurity."

Staying ahead of the curve – and putting innovation on display 

If standing still is the same as falling behind in cybersecurity, then everyone (from early-career practitioners to international business leaders) needs to keep moving. Threats evolve, technologies change, and organisations must constantly adapt. 

That’s why staying inspired and informed is so important. Gary Hayslip (Global CISO at SoftBank Investment Advisors) says that Black Hat MEA is important for the cybersecurity community “because the rate of change that we see, not just in the threats that we face but in the technology that practitioners use – you know, just the movement of that itself – we need to be able to come together as a community. And this is an ideal place for us to be able to come together to share information, to support each other, and to learn and educate ourselves."

Cybersecurity conferences also offer a firsthand look at the latest tools and technologies. Allan Alford (CEO at Alford and Adams Consulting) describes the value of the expo floor: 

"One, those of us that are established in our careers, we have a chance to meet up face-to-face for the first time in a good long while; we learn from each other, we see what everyone’s up to. For folks that are new in the industry, it’s a whole other level of learning. And then for all of us, there’s the fact that you can hit the show floor and find out about all kinds of brand-new innovations in the industry, all kinds of new technologies, things that you may not know are out there if you hadn’t just turned a corner and seen a cool booth."

So should you come to Black Hat MEA 2025?

Well yes, obviously. 

It’s not just an industry gathering, and it’s definitely not just a place for vendors to sell products. It’s an invaluable hub of innovation, education, and community-building. It’ll help you stay ahead of evolving threats, connect with peers, and explore the latest advancements in the field. 

Black Hat MEA is for everyone in cybersecurity. Meet us in Riyadh this November – you won’t be disappointed.

Join us at Black Hat MEA 2025 to grow your network, expand your knowledge, and build your business.