Black Hat

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.

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

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

• Cybersecurity conferences
• Information security training
• Security research briefings
• Penetration testing courses
• Open-source security tools

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Arsenal Submissions: Tool developers submit projects for consideration to present at Arsenal, the open-source security tool showcase. Selected presenters receive complimentary Briefings passes.
5. Webinar Sponsorships: Companies can sponsor episodes of Black Hat Webinars to gain visibility with the cybersecurity community during live virtual events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and supporting.

• AccenturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Accenture'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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWISP 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 PLCcoreOthersBlack 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 GovernmentnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack 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 CCDCOEnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerNATO 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)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerRUSI participated in Cyber War Connect Europe alongside UK government and NATO CCDCOE for cyber resilience discussions.
• Dark ReadingsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDark Reading is listed as a media partner providing cybersecurity news coverage and audience reach for the Black Hat community.
• OmdiasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerOmdia provides technology research and analysis coverage that complements Black Hat's cybersecurity event offerings.
• UK GovernmentnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/BlackHatEvents
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BlackHatOfficialYT
• Facebookfacebook.com/Black-Hat-Events-107691635153
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-hat
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackhat_events

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Hat