Black Hat
Black Hat is a global cybersecurity events and training brand founded in 1997, owned by Informa PLC, that runs annual Briefings, Trainings, and Arsenal programs across six geographies serving security researchers, practitioners, CISOs, and enterprise security vendors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Black Hat does
Black Hat monetizes across four primary streams: (1) paid delegate registration and training passes purchased by individual security practitioners and enterprise teams; (2) tiered corporate sponsorships (Apex Partner, Strategic Partners, Global Partners), with the current roster including Cisco, Microsoft, Google Cloud Security, Wiz, SentinelOne, Tenable, Qualys, ReliaQuest, ServiceNow, SpecterOps, TrendAI, Cyera, ThreatLocker, Varonis, and ManageEngine; (3) paid Trainings revenue from individual attendees and enterprise team enrolments; and (4) webinar and digital channel sponsorships. The business model is event-anchored, with annual recurrence in each geography and growing year-round programming through webinars and community initiatives.
Underlying technology is conventional event and content platform infrastructure — registration systems, training delivery, content review workflows managed by the Black Hat Review Board, and digital webinar distribution — rather than proprietary software or security tooling. Distribution is reinforced by long-standing brand authority in offensive security research, multi-sided network dynamics between researchers, practitioners, and vendors, and selective content curation that competitors cannot easily replicate.
Black Hat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Black Hat
- Legal name
- Informa PLC
- Website
- https://blackhat.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Black Hat is a global cybersecurity events and training brand founded in 1997, owned by Informa PLC, that runs annual Briefings, Trainings, and Arsenal programs across six geographies serving security researchers, practitioners, CISOs, and enterprise security vendors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Black Hat industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cybersecurity Events and Training
- NAICS
- Computer Training (61142), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cybersecurity (EDAAAPAC), Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Programs (BPAEANAF), Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)
Keywords
Where Black Hat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Black Hat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Event Registration: Black Hat generates revenue through selling passes and tickets to its cybersecurity conferences and events. Events include Black Hat USA, Europe, Asia, Middle East & Africa, India, and SecTor in Canada. Registration passes include various access levels including Briefings, Business Hall, Training, and Summit passes.
- Sponsorships: Companies sponsor Black Hat events to gain access to cybersecurity professionals and decision-makers. Sponsorship tiers include Apex Partners, Strategic Partners, and Global Partners, with varying levels of visibility and access.
- Training Programs: Black Hat offers paid training courses in cybersecurity topics. Courses are available in 2-day and 4-day formats. Students receive certificates of completion and can earn CPE credits. Optional certification exams are available for additional credentialing.
- Arsenal Submissions: Tool developers submit projects for consideration to present at Arsenal, the open-source security tool showcase. Selected presenters receive complimentary Briefings passes.
- Webinar Sponsorships: Companies can sponsor episodes of Black Hat Webinars to gain visibility with the cybersecurity community during live virtual events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Conference passes with varying access levels to briefings, training, business hall, and summits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Black Hat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Black Hat organizes and hosts a global portfolio of annual cybersecurity conferences (USA, Europe, Asia, SecTor Canada, India, Middle East & Africa) along with curated research presentations (Briefings), hands-on technical training courses (Trainings), open-source security tool demonstrations (Arsenal), topic-focused executive Summits, and live Webinars. Programs are delivered in-person, live online, and on-demand, with certificates, CPE credits, and optional proficiency exams available to participants.
Product overview
Black Hat is a leading global provider of cybersecurity events, training, and professional development programs. The company's portfolio consists of major annual conferences (Black Hat USA, Europe, Asia, SecTor, India, Middle East & Africa) that serve as the core platform, supplemented by technical Trainings, Briefings presentations, Arsenal open-source tool showcases, Summits, and Webinars. Supporting initiatives include Black Hat(HER) for women in cybersecurity and the Cyber War Forum for executive-level discussions on cyber conflict. The company also offers certification and exam services for training participants. All offerings are delivered as independent programs under the unified Black Hat brand umbrella, rather than as a unified SaaS product with modules.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Black Hat Global Conferences Major annual cybersecurity conferences held globally (USA at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, Europe at ExCeL London, Asia at Marina Bay Sands Singapore, SecTor at Metro Toronto Convention Centre, India at Sheraton Grand Bengaluru, Middle East & Africa at Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Center), each featuring multi-day programs with trainings, briefings, Arsenal demonstrations, summits, and networking.
- Briefings Live presentations of cutting-edge information security research delivered by vetted global experts, covering vulnerabilities, exploits, zero-days, open-source tools, and defensive techniques. Content is selected by the Black Hat Review Board.
- Trainings Hands-on instructor-led technical courses in 2-day and 4-day formats covering cloud security, penetration testing, hardware security, AI, machine learning, and other cybersecurity topics, delivered live in-person, live online, or self-paced on-demand.
- Arsenal Open, conversational space where independent tool developers demonstrate open-source security tools and products to Black Hat attendees with hands-on interaction, including Arsenal Labs workshops for tinkering with hardware and open-source tools.
- Summits
- Webinars Monthly live virtual web events featuring Black Hat speakers, independent researchers, and leading experts discussing current information security topics with live audience Q&A and ISC2 CPE credit opportunities.
- Black Hat(HER) Platform of initiatives, events, and networking experiences designed to support, connect, and elevate women across the cybersecurity industry, addressing persistent underrepresentation in the field.
- Cyber War Forum Series International series of forums convening senior cybersecurity, government, military, intelligence, and policy leaders to examine the operational realities of modern cyber conflict, including nation-state campaigns, AI-enabled operations, and critical infrastructure resilience.
- Certification & Exam Services Optional proficiency exams validating cybersecurity training expertise through capture-the-flag, practical, scenario-based, or project-based evaluations, yielding a 3-year certification, with digital certificates and badges issued upon course completion.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 20,000 security professionals attend Black Hat USA annually
Companies that use Black Hat
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Black Hat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Black Hat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and supporting.
- AccenturecoreAccenture's Associate Director Dr. Bilyana Lilly serves as Global Chair of the Cyber War Forum Series. Accenture is a founding partner in Black Hat's Cyber War Connect forum series that convenes government, military, intelligence, and policy leaders to examine cyber conflict realities.
- Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)coreBlack Hat has a strong partnership with EFF to provide pro-bono legal consultations to security researchers on the legality of any research or data they plan to present at Black Hat events, supporting coordinated disclosure practices.
- Women in Security and Privacy (WISP)coreWISP is a partner organization supporting Black Hat(HER), the platform addressing underrepresentation of women in cybersecurity. WISP helps expand access, amplify voices, and strengthen the community.
- Informa PLCcoreBlack Hat is part of the Informa Festivals Division of Informa PLC, a global events and publishing company. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales (company number 8860726) with head office at 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG.
- UK GovernmentnotableBlack Hat's Cyber War Connect Europe brought together senior participants from the UK government alongside NATO CCDCOE and RUSI for discussions on cyber conflict and national resilience.
- NATO CCDCOEnotableNATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence participated in Cyber War Connect Europe forum discussions on cyber operations and geopolitical conflict.
- RUSI (Royal United Services Institute)notableRUSI participated in Cyber War Connect Europe alongside UK government and NATO CCDCOE for cyber resilience discussions.
- Dark ReadingsupportingDark Reading is listed as a media partner providing cybersecurity news coverage and audience reach for the Black Hat community.
- OmdiasupportingOmdia provides technology research and analysis coverage that complements Black Hat's cybersecurity event offerings.
- UK GovernmentnotableSenior participants from the UK government attended Cyber War Connect Europe, examining operational realities of modern cyber conflict alongside military, intelligence, and policy leaders.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Black Hat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DEF CON: One of the world's largest and longest-running hacker conferences, featuring briefings, trainings, and village communities that directly overlap with Black Hat's technical security audience and speaker pool.
- RSA Conference: Flagship annual cybersecurity conference with a strong enterprise/CISO focus; competes with Black Hat for sponsors, speakers, and senior security executives across the same global attendee base.
- SANS Institute: Major cybersecurity training and certification provider offering instructor-led courses, GIAC certifications, and events that overlap with Black Hat's Trainings and certification products.
- Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit: Enterprise-focused security conference run by Gartner targeting CISOs and security leaders; competes with Black Hat's Summits and CISO programs for executive attendees and sponsors.
- Infosecurity (Informa): Sibling cybersecurity events brand under Informa PLC; operates Infosecurity Europe and related shows that share the same parent, sales force, and overlap with Black Hat's audience and sponsor base.
Emerging players
- BSides: Grassroots community-driven security events held in dozens of cities worldwide; compete with Black Hat for emerging researchers and community-focused attendees at much lower price points.
- OWASP Global AppSec: Application security community and conference series with technical trainings and briefings; overlaps with Black Hat's developer-facing training and Arsenal-style tool demonstrations.
- Hack The Box: Subscription-based cybersecurity training and capture-the-flag platform with growing events and academy business; competes with Black Hat Trainings for hands-on learner audiences.
- OffSec (Offensive Security): Provider of the OSCP certification and hands-on penetration testing training; overlaps with Black Hat's offensive security training courses and certification credentials.
Regional players
- Nullcon: India-based security conference featuring trainings and briefings; directly competes with Black Hat India for regional researchers, attendees, and sponsors in the Indian market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Black Hat social profiles
Digital presenceBlack Hat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Black Hat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Black Hat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Black Hat M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Black Hat
What does Black Hat do?
Black Hat organizes and hosts a global portfolio of annual cybersecurity conferences (USA, Europe, Asia, SecTor Canada, India, Middle East & Africa) along with curated research presentations (Briefings), hands-on technical training courses (Trainings), open-source security tool demonstrations (Arsenal), topic-focused executive Summits, and live Webinars. Programs are delivered in-person, live online, and on-demand, with certificates, CPE credits, and optional proficiency exams available to participants.
Is Black Hat a public or private company?
Black Hat is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Black Hat founded?
Black Hat was founded in 1997.
Where is Black Hat based?
Black Hat is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Black Hat make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Event Registration is the primary driver. The others are sponsorships, training Programs, arsenal Submissions and webinar Sponsorships.
Who are Black Hat's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DEF CON, RSA Conference, SANS Institute, Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit and Infosecurity (Informa). Emerging players are BSides, OWASP Global AppSec, Hack The Box and OffSec (Offensive Security). Nullcon is listed as a regional player.
Does Black Hat have an API?
No public API is recorded for Black Hat.
What industry is Black Hat in?
Black Hat's product category is Cybersecurity Events and Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAD, Academic & Scientific Conferences, with a secondary code of EDAAAPAC, Cybersecurity. Its NAICS code is 61142 and its SIC code is 8200.