By: Bailey Marshall
Black Hat USA transforms Las Vegas, USA, into a haven for ethical hackers, security fiends, and anyone passionate about protecting our digital assets. This is your chance to dive headfirst into the exciting world of cybersecurity knowledge, network with industry leaders, and snag some cool swag. Make the most of your Black Hat experience by checking our list of do’s and don’ts below!
Crush the Conference
- Be a Session Hopper: Check the Black Hat agenda beforehand. Identify talks that align with your interests and those that cover advanced topics from your courses, and make sure you maximize your time in ones that you find fascinating.
- Embrace the FOMO: Black Hat offers parallel sessions, and you won’t be able to be in two places at once. Download the conference app and leverage the live-streaming feature to catch key parts of missed sessions later.
- Be a Note-Taking Fanatic: Bring notebooks, a good note-taking app, or both to capture key takeaways, speaker insights, and burning questions.
- It’s All About Networking! Strike up conversations with speakers, exhibitors, and fellow students. Share your learnings, ask questions, and exchange business cards.
- Craft Your Elevator Pitch: Perfect your “elevator pitch” – your concise and engaging introduction of yourself and your cybersecurity aspirations. Who are you? Why do we care? Why do you care? Let every know what you’re there for!
- Hydration Hero: Vegas can be a desert battlefield (hello, it’s been nearly 115° F for a week!), but it doesn’t have to be for you! Pack comfortable clothes and shoes for navigating the conference floor. And remember, that desert air gets dry – stay hydrated and avoid information overload headaches.
- Feed Your Head: Black Hat offers snacks and sometimes even meals. But don’t rely solely on conference catering. Plan your meals beforehand to avoid missing out on sessions due to long lines. Explore the diverse Vegas food scene – just be sure to factor in travel time!
- Have Fun – Enjoy Vegas Responsibly: Black Hat isn’t all work and no play. Explore the dazzling Las Vegas scene, unwind with fellow attendees, and soak in the unique atmosphere of this cybersecurity extravaganza.
Black Hat Blacklisted: What Not To Do
- Don’t Be a Lone Wolf: Black Hat is all about building connections. Don’t be a wallflower! Step outside your comfort zone and network with others. You never know who you might meet.
- Don’t Be a Tech Troll Under A Bridge: While technical discussions are key, Black Hat is also about the human element. Engage in conversations, ask questions, and don’t just hoard knowledge – share it!
- Don’t Forget To Share Your Time on Social Media: Black Hat is a goldmine for social media content! Share your learnings, photos, and insights using relevant hashtags (#BlackHatUSA, anyone?). A quick security tip: Post your pictures, tags, and videos after you’ve left the area where you took them, and remove any geotagging capabilities you may have on your photos or videos. This will keep you safe physically as you navigate a new territory with unknown faces.
Traveling for Training?
Black Hat offers a wide variety of training and workshops to complement your conference experience and bolster you with new skills and knowledge. Applied Technology Academy is excited to partner with OffSec this year to host three courses: PEN-200, SOC-200, and EXP-401. Combining your training with workshops and listening to speakers whose topics expand upon your coursework is a great way to gain insight and understanding.
Here are a few options to get the most out of the conference based on your course:
Penetration Testing with Kali Linux (PEN-200):
- Brush Up on Networking Fundamentals: Black Hat digs deeper into penetration testing methodologies. Ensure you have a solid grasp of TCP/IP networking, including addressing, subnetting, and protocols. This will help you understand how attackers exploit network vulnerabilities.
- Master Your Linux Arsenal: PEN-200 equips you with Linux proficiency in relation to offensive security. Black Hat offers advanced workshops and talks on Linux exploitation techniques. Refresh your memory on command-line tools like Bash and explore scripting languages like Python for automation.
- Target Selection: Black Hat talks often showcase real-world penetration testing engagements. Before Black Hat, consider researching common target selection methodologies and how attackers identify weaknesses in systems.
Foundational Security Operations and Defensive Analysis (SOC-200):
- It SIEMs Too Good To Be True: SOC-200 introduces the Elastic stack, a powerful open-source Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tool. Black Hat offers workshops specifically on these and other similar SIEM capabilities and their advanced functionalities. Brushing up on your analysis skills beforehand will allow you to grasp these advanced concepts more easily.
- Threat Intelligence Deep Dive: The SOC world thrives on threat intelligence. Black Hat offers sessions on advanced threat-hunting and intelligence-gathering techniques. To get the most out of these discussions, review the common threat intelligence sources and methodologies used in the real world.
- Incident Response Readiness: Black Hat offers in-depth incident response (IR) best practices workshops. Revisit the IR lifecycle and common IR tools covered in SOC-200.This will allow you to actively participate in discussions and ask insightful questions.
Advanced Windows Exploitation (EXP-401):
- Vulnerability Master: EXP-401 hones your skills in finding and exploiting vulnerabilities. Black Hat offers workshops led by industry experts on advanced exploitation techniques. Review the core concepts of vulnerability research and exploitation covered in EXP-401. This will put these advanced techniques into context.
- Exploit Development Expertise: EXP-401 equips you with exploit development skills. Black Hat offers sessions on various exploit development frameworks. Revisit the fundamentals of exploit development covered in EXP-401, focusing on languages like Python or C.
- Post-Exploitation Prowess: Black Hat offers workshops on maintaining access and privilege escalation after a successful exploit. To fully grasp these advanced discussions, review the post-exploitation methodologies covered in EXP-401.
The Bottom Line
Black Hat USA isn’t just about lectures—it’s about connecting! Embrace the opportunity to network, learn a ton, and have fun. Pack light, stay hydrated, and explore the Las Vegas scene responsibly. Remember to share what you learn on social media, and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and network—the most important thing is to have an unforgettable hacking adventure!
