Las Vegas
The Cyber
War Forum
at
Black Hat USA
The information
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
South Pacific B, Islander B & G - North Convention Center
Overview
In today’s world, code moves markets, powers cities, and commands weapons systems. It underpins every function of modern life and is also a primary target in war.
Preparing for cyber conflict is therefore not a technical exercise but a strategic imperative central to national resilience, economic stability, and global security.
The Black Hat Cyber War Forum convenes an invitation-only gathering of the world’s leading cybersecurity experts, government officials, military leaders, and policy authorities to confront the strategic realities of cyber conflict and the resilience of the systems that sustain society.
Held under closed-door conditions to enable candid dialogue, the Forum focuses on the practical challenges of cyber war readiness: recognizing early indicators of escalation, sustaining essential services during active disruption, and restoring national and economic systems in the aftermath.
The goal is to move beyond discussion toward readiness. By bringing together those responsible for defending governments, critical infrastructure, and global commerce, the Forum aligns the capabilities, coordination, and decision frameworks required when cyber conflict becomes real.
Passes
The Cyber War Forum is by invitation-only. To express interest in attending, please click here.
Note: this will take you to an external site for Cyber War registration
Why Attend
- Gain practical cyber war readiness guidance applicable immediately
- Direct engagement with policymakers and national leaders
- Build shared frameworks and a platform for collaboration that reduce fragmentation across sectors and siloed responses.
Key attendees
- Senior cyber leaders from government and the military
- Critical infrastructure owners and operators
- Chief Information Security Officers and enterprise security executives
- Threat intelligence and incident response leaders
- Leading security researchers and technical experts
- Cyber policy, legal, and regulatory authorities
- Technology innovators and cybersecurity industry leaders
Why This Forum and Why Now?
This Forum is urgent and timely because cyber conflict is no longer a theoretical concept, it is currently unfolding in real time through state-linked operations around the world.
These developments signal a fundamental shift: cyber operations are now a routine instrument of geopolitical competition and modern warfare. Across sectors, organizations responsible for sustaining governments, economies, and essential services face the same urgent questions:
- How do we detect early indicators of cyber conflict escalation?
- What coordination mechanisms exist between government and industry during conflict?
- What legal, operational, and technical authorities apply during cyber war?
- How do nations sustain essential services during disruption and recover afterward?
The Cyber War Forum exists to close that gap by bringing together the leaders responsible for defending critical systems to develop the frameworks, coordination, and practical guidance required when cyber conflict becomes real.
Core Deliverable: The Cyber War Readiness Playbook
The Forum will begin to develop a Cyber War Readiness Playbook, shaped by the people who will rely upon it.
In year one, this will take the form of structured outputs and a clear record of discussions and recommendations, rather than a fully published playbook.
These outputs will inform the development of a more formal, externally published playbook in subsequent years as the Forum scales.
Forum Chairs
Dr. Bilyana Lilly
Associate Director, Accenture
Global Chair, Cyber War Forum Series
Michael Daniel
President & CEO - Cyber Threat Alliance
Cyber War Forum Vice Chair: Cyber Preparation and Strategic Warning
Tom Fanning
Retired Executive Chairman, President & CEO - Southern Company
Cyber War Forum Vice Chair: Recovery, Resilience & Reconstitution After Cyber Conflict
Mark Montgomery
Retired Rear Admiral - US Navy
Senior Director and Senior Fellow - Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Cyber War Forum Vice Chair: Active Cyber Conflict: Decision-Making, Coordination & Response Under Fire
Get Involved
Elevate your brand to ensure it’s at the heart of the cyber warfare revolution. The Cyber War Forum at Black Hat USA 2026 offers cutting-edge exposure to a highly engaged, decision-making audience.
Limited premium sponsorship packages are available. Contact our team today to secure your place at this groundbreaking event.
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