Call for Papers

Important Dates

Call for Papers Opens: April 29, 2014
Call for Papers Closes: June 9, 2014
Notification to Authors: July 21, 2014
Terms are subject to change.

Submit proposals by completing a submission form on the Call for Papers (CFP) server at https://cfp.blackhat.com/. All applicants must read and agree to the Call for Papers Submission Requirements prior to making a submission. All submissions must be received on or before June 9, 2014 at 2359 PDT.

WHAT ARE THE BLACK HAT BRIEFINGS?

The Black Hat Briefings were created more than 17 years ago to provide computer security professionals a place to learn the very latest in information security risks, research, and trends. Presented by the brightest in the industry, the Briefings cover everything from critical information infrastructure to widely used enterprise computer systems to the latest InfoSec research and development and everything in between. The Briefings are vendor-neutral, allowing the presenters to speak candidly about real problems and potential solutions across both the public and private sectors.

SESSION TYPES

  1. Briefings: 25 and 50-minute presentations (traditional presentation format)
  2. Workshops: 120-minute sessions (hands-on labs and presentation)

SUBMISSION PROCESS & REQUIREMENTS

  1. The original author(s) of a presentation must submit for the Call for Papers. Third parties such as PR firms or speaker representatives may not submit materials on behalf of a potential speaker or speaking team.
  2. Black Hat does not accept product or vendor-related pitches. If your presentation is a thinly veiled advertisement for a product or service your company is offering, please do not submit.
  3. Submissions that highlight new research, tools, vulnerabilities, etc. are strongly encouraged and will be given priority. Submissions that include White Papers will also be given priority.
  4. Speakers may submit more than one proposal but each proposal must be submitted via a separate submission form.
  5. Each submission must include detailed bibliographies acknowledging prior work in the space, distinguishing or highlighting how your presentation is different.
  6. Individuals submitting a proposal will receive a “Your submission for Black Hat Europe 2014 has been received” email notification generally within 48-72 hours of receipt of the submission. After selections have been completed, submitters will receive an email confirmation of acceptance or rejection.
  7. Speakers will be contacted directly if Review Board members have any questions about a submission. If your talk is accepted, you can continue to modify it up until the presentation due date, at which time it is frozen for printed and other conference materials.
  8. If you have any questions regarding your submission, please email them to cfp@blackhat.com. Black Hat requests that submitters (and any members of a speaking team) to the Call for Papers do not contact Review Board members individually regarding a submission.

REVIEW BOARD + CONTENT SELECTION

The Black Hat Review Board is comprised of 23 of the industry's most credible and distinguished security professionals and thought leaders throughout various areas of the information security community. The Review Board advises Black Hat on its strategic direction, reviewing, and programming conference content and providing unparalleled insight into the research community. You can find more information on the Review Board here: https://www.blackhat.com/review-board.html.

Black Hat strives to deliver one of the most empirical content selection processes in the industry. All submissions are vetted thoroughly by the Black Hat Review Board. Each submission is reviewed for uniqueness, overall content expertise, and accuracy before any selections are made. Through the course of this dynamic review process, Black Hat Review Board members will frequently ask researchers for clarity on any areas of question in their submission(s) – whether it be about the uniqueness or audacity of claims made. The best submissions come with academic-grade papers, proof-of-concept code, and/or video demonstrations of the work done. Of note, Black Hat does not support pay-for-play Briefings. The Black Hat Briefings are, and always have been, independently selected based on quality of content and area of expertise rather than sponsorship.

SPEAKING REQUIREMENTS

Black Hat requires that submitted work has not been previously published elsewhere, or if it has, that Speakers have obtained permission for its publication by Black Hat and will promptly supply wording for crediting the original publication and copyright owner.

If you are going to announce or demonstrate a new tool as the primary focus of your talk, that tool must be made available to conference attendees via the Black Hat CD and/or website. All sources of information, software, etc. must be properly cited.

Attendees expect to receive a copy of your presentation, a White Paper supporting your work, RFC's, and tools/code (if applicable). Presentations and White Papers should reference the tool(s), law(s), website(s), or publication(s) mentioned. A bibliography will greatly help attendees who wish to learn more about your subject, but are not sure where to start.

Black Hat expects Speakers to be available throughout the event to meet and talk with attendees. Attendees want to meet the Speakers and ask questions. Please advise conference management of time constraints when submitting your materials.

Speakers can assume that attendees already understand the basic concepts regarding your topic. For example, if you are talking about cryptography, assume that everyone knows the difference between public key vs. secret key algorithms. Black Hat is known as a technical security conference, and demands more detail from its Speakers.

OFFICIAL TERMS

By submitting via the Black Hat Call for Papers system, Speakers understand and agree to the Official Terms as detailed in this section and subsequent sections of this document.

AGREEMENT TO TERMS OF SPEAKING REMUNERATION

Briefings Speaker (25 minute) Criteria:
  • Open to both new Speakers and previous Black Hat Speakers
Remuneration:
  • Speaking honorarium of $500 USD for one Speaker and;
  • One Briefings pass per Speaker(s)
Briefings Speaker (50 minute) Criteria:
  • Open to Speakers who have never presented at Black Hat
Remuneration:
  • Speaking honorarium of $500 USD for one Speaker;
  • Coach-class round-trip airfare for one Speaker, cap of $1,500 USD;
  • One hotel room for three nights for one Speaker and;
  • One Briefings pass per Speaker(s)
Veteran Briefings Speaker (50 minute) Criteria:
  • Open to previous Black Hat Speakers (Trainer or Briefings Speaker) or specifically invited to speak by Black Hat
Remuneration:
  • Speaking honorarium of $1000 USD for one Speaker;
  • Coach-class round-trip airfare for one Speaker, cap of $1,500 USD;
  • One hotel room for three nights for one Speaker and;
  • One Briefings pass per Speaker(s)
Briefings Workshop Speaker (120+ minute) Criteria:
  • Open to Speakers who specifically applied to present a workshop
Remuneration:
  • Speaking honorarium of $1,000 USD per hour for one Speaker;
  • Coach-class round-trip airfare for one Speaker, cap of $1,500 USD;
  • One hotel room for three nights for one Speaker and;
  • One Briefings pass per Speaker(s)
Sponsor Employed Speakers (60 minute) Criteria:
  • Open to both new Speakers and previous Black Hat Speakers
  • The presentation must not be a vendor pitch
  • Speaker MUST use the Black Hat provided slide template
  • Employer logo on two slides: Introduction and Biography
  • Employer's name will be used only in relation to work, demo, or tool and NOT used as a vendor pitch or product sale
  • If the Employer or Speaker do not agree and fail to meet the above or it is deemed that the talk is a vendor pitch, then the Speaker WAIVES the right to any compensation for travel, accommodations, or honorarium
Remuneration:
  • Speaking honorarium for one Speaker ($500 USD for new Speakers, or $1000 USD for returning Black Hat Speakers);
  • Coach-class round-trip airfare for one Speaker, cap of $1,500 USD and;
  • One hotel room for three nights for one Speaker

RESPONSIBLE DISCLOSURE

NOTE: If you have questions about the legal implications of your security research or presentation, consider contacting Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit legal service organization, for a pro bono initial consultation by emailing info@eff.org.

ADDITIONAL EVENT INFORMATION

Please visit https://www.blackhat.com/ for previous conference archives, information, and speeches. Updated announcements about Black Hat Europe 2014 will be posted to newsgroups, security mailing lists, and the Black Hat website when available.

Black Hat reserves the right to change or modify our terms, dates and/or content of this page at any time without prior notice.

Thank you,
The Black Hat Team