Editor's note
Black Hat USA 2026 returned for its 29th year, covering the latest in infosec for CISOs, technical experts, thought leaders, innovative vendors and cybersecurity pros.
The two-day main event, which took place August 5-6 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, featured more than 200 sessions on topics from cyber-resilience and malware to detection engineering, security culture, privacy, supply chain security and cryptography. And, of course, AI security, LLMs, prompt engineering, promptware, autonomous exploits and AI agents.
Four days of specialized trainings, August 1-4, covered incident response, third-party risk management, AI security for executives, red teaming, adversary tactics and more. This year also marked the return of the CISO Summit, Financial Threat Summit, Innovators & Investors Summit, Omdia Analyst Summit and AI Summit, as well as the inaugural Healthcare Summit, in partnership with HIMSS.
Informa TechTarget's editorial team was on-site, reporting from the conference floor. This guide gathers articles from our reporters on TechTarget Cybersecurity, Dark Reading and Cybersecurity Dive.
1News from the conference floor
Black Hat presenters divulged the latest attacks and sounded warning bells on what could be coming next.
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Making sense of cybersecurity's converging categories
AI is eliminating the dividing lines that once delineated technologies such as vulnerability management and network security. Enterprises have to find a new way to evaluate vendors. Read Now
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AI agent security must move beyond human-in-the-loop, experts say
Human-in-the-loop can't scale with AI agents. Security leaders at Black Hat explained action-driven approaches for managing agentic ecosystems. Read Now
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Black Hat NOC sees AI security failures firsthand
A disturbing trend is unfolding on the ground at Black Hat's elite network operations center: As AI takes off, cyber-risk is rising too. Here's what the NOC wants CISOs to know. Read Now
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Behind the scenes at Black Hat's network operations center
Step inside Black Hat's guarded NOC, where nearly unlimited threats meet unlimited resources, and security experts battle hackers, deploy custom AI agents and mitigate attacks. Read Now
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Coruna, DarkSword iOS exploits proliferate globally
Sophisticated iPhone exploit chains previously limited to nation-states are spreading far and wide to organized cybercrime groups. Read Now
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Critical flaws allow hackers to exploit zero-touch provisioning process in TP-Link Omada
Attacks can cause widespread damage to trusted devices and data. Read Now
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Hackers grow more willing to destroy, not just disrupt, OT systems
Experts said the alarming trend has further stressed infrastructure providers that are already struggling with strong passwords, comprehensive logging and other basics. Read Now
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15 TP-Link bugs expose risks in zero-trust provisioning
Researchers are calling attention to the risks inherent in automated network device provisioning, using a world-leading device manufacturer as a case study. Read Now
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CSS: The hidden threat lurking in your inbox
CSS was once just about design. Now researchers warn it's powerful enough to exfiltrate data from webmail -- and some vendors aren't prepared. Read Now
2AI attacks, hacks and defenses
AI is in the spotlight -- and was at Black Hat, too. Here's what the experts had to say about AI-enabled attacks, vulnerabilities and security measures.
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AI attacks lack stealth -- nation-state actors are changing that
Today's AI attacks are still hard to miss and easy to stop, but nation-state threat actors are quietly pioneering low-and-slow adversarial AI. Learn what the shift means for defenders. Read Now
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Secure development can help turn the tables as AI alters cyber landscape
A top Microsoft executive says a shift toward memory safety and other preventative measures can limit the ability to exploit flawed software. Read Now
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Researcher claims control of ChatGPT secure sandbox
A researcher demonstrated a proof-of-concept attack chain that provided C2-style influence over ChatGPT's isolated sandbox during a session at Black Hat USA 2026. Read Now
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AI browsers vulnerable to 'PleaseFix' zero-click agent hijacking
Attackers can take control of agents through malicious instructions hidden in content supplied to AI browsers, and there's no simple fix for the threat. Read Now
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OpenAI warns autonomous hacks are 'watershed moment for computer security'
Company employees said their industry should rethink how it balances capabilities and safeguards. Read Now
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No perfect fix for AI browser prompt injection flaws
AI browsers from top vendors remain vulnerable to prompt injection attacks despite multiple security guardrails, according to new research. Read Now
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AI sends global crime syndicates into fraud nirvana
Organized crime is convincingly scamming at scale, making billions thanks to AI-enabled voice cloning, deepfake real-time video overlays, LLM-driven persona management and automated translation. Read Now
3Government happenings
The White House, CISA and other leaders shared their insights at Black Hat 2026, covering the latest in regulations, policies and programs.
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CVE Program eyes automation and globalization to weather AI 'vulnpocalypse'
The vulnerability coordination project has had a rocky few years, but a key leader says it will "flourish and improve." Read Now
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AI firms know policymakers won't 'let you make a Terminator factory,' DHS official says
The Trump administration believes leading AI companies have learned important lessons from recent incidents and regulation isn’t necessary to preserve those lessons. Read Now
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The coordination gap: How attackers are outpacing law enforcement
The fight against cybercrime continues because threat actors have adapted their strategies to avoid deterrents, but law enforcement still operates in silos. Read Now
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From Bobmojis to bobbleheads: How the Democratic party built a security-first culture
Two former chief security officers of the Democratic National Committee explain that a strong security-first mindset requires executive support -- and a dose of absurdity. Read Now
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White House walks tightrope on securing AI without stifling tech innovation
National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross said the administration wants to work collaboratively with the private sector. Read Now
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Western government leaders call for a focus on infrastructure resilience, not AI hype
U.S. and allied officials said companies should start preparing now for a cyberattack that changes how they provide essential services. Read Now
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CISA is prioritizing work with critical infrastructure as it begins to recover from cuts
The agency has been focused on helping secure systems at drinking and wastewater utilities in recent weeks. Read Now
4Videos from the show floor
The Dark Reading News Desk spoke with industry experts about the most pressing threats, attacks and vulnerabilities, and enterprise mitigation strategies.
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New CUSTODY Framework constrains AI agents inside the network
Expert Jake Williams explains why he decided to release his new agentic AI framework in the wake of the OpenAI attacks on Hugging Face. Read Now
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Agentic AI presents new insider threat model for orgs
Katie Moussouris of Luta Security talks about how enterprises will now need to monitor risks posed by their own agents in the wake of the recent Hugging Face attack. Read Now
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The 'industrial accidents' behind rogue AI agent attacks
Rich Mogull, chief analyst with the Cloud Security Alliance, discusses what defenders need to take away from AI agents escaping their environments to launch attacks. Read Now
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Hugging Face breach raises big questions about AI security controls
Adam Shostack talks with the Dark Reading News Desk about why he was 'blown away' by OpenAI's revelations regarding the Hugging Face attack. Read Now
5DEF CON
DEF CON was held in Las Vegas in the days following Black Hat. Here's what happened at the show.
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Civil-society initiative will pay cybersecurity vendors to protect rural water systems
DEF CON Franklin is seeking philanthropic grants, but its founder said the federal government ultimately needs to step in. Read Now
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Outdated cybercrime laws put security researchers at risk
A public policy expert mapped global cybercrime laws to develop a five-point framework for protecting ethical hackers and good-faith security research. Read Now
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Experts say healthcare faces cybersecurity crisis: 'These are patient safety issues'
Regulatory failures, funding constraints and industry consolidation have created serious hacking risks. Read Now
6Black Hat USA 2026 previews
We got a sneak peek at some of the show's presentations -- take a look at what you'll see at the show.
7Black Hat 2025 recap
Last year's Black Hat USA conference covered a range of essential topics. Here is an array of highlights to get you up to speed and prepare for this year's event.