Black Hat USA 2025: AI, Investment, and the Expanding Scope of Cybersecurity | Our Traditional Pre-Event Kick-Off Conversation with Steve Wylie | On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli

As Black Hat USA 2025 approaches, General Manager Steve Wylie joins Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli for the annual pre-conference conversation to highlight what’s new—and what’s next—for one of cybersecurity’s most iconic events. This year’s themes and expansions signal a strong return to growth, technical depth, and strategic investment.

AI Everywhere—from Training to the Show Floor

Artificial intelligence emerges as the dominant force across the agenda. From the main stage to the training rooms, Black Hat is packed with AI-related content designed to meet the rising demand for education and clarity. New this year is a comprehensive lineup of instructor-led AI courses and expanded AI tool showcases in the Arsenal and Arsenal Labs programs. As Wylie notes, three of the four Spotlight competition finalists—FireTail, Keep Aware, and Twine Security—are AI-driven solutions, underscoring the technology’s influence on innovation.

Investor Energy and Startup Momentum

Cybersecurity investment is back. That momentum is reflected in the expanded Innovators and Investors Summit and the largest-ever Startup Zone on the show floor, now hosting more than 80 companies. This year’s program builds on last year’s debut and aims to connect entrepreneurs, investors, and CISOs in a more targeted and collaborative setting.

Expanding the Audience: New Summits and Keynotes

To better serve cybersecurity leaders across sectors, Black Hat has introduced new summits tailored to financial services and supply chain security. These gatherings offer strategic-level insights for professionals who don’t typically engage in technical briefings. Meanwhile, the keynote lineup includes prominent voices from both public and private sectors—such as Miko Hyppönen, Nicole Perlroth, and Chris Inglis—offering grounded perspectives in a time of uncertainty.

Interactive Additions and Community Growth

Attendees can expect hands-on experiences like a new drone hacking zone and an expanded hardware lab area. A Career Development Zone also debuts this year, offering sessions designed to help attendees build or pivot their cybersecurity careers.

___________

Guest: Steve Wylie, Vice President, Cybersecurity Market at Informa Tech and General Manager at Black Hat | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swylie650/

Hosts:
Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.marcociappelli.com

___________

Episode Sponsors

ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974

BlackCloak: https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb

Akamai: https://itspm.ag/akamailbwc

DropzoneAI: https://itspm.ag/dropzoneai-641

Stellar Cyber: https://itspm.ag/stellar-9dj3

___________

Resources

Learn more and catch more stories from our Black Hat USA 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/bhusa25

ITSPmagazine Webinar: What’s Heating Up Before Black Hat 2025: Place Your Bet on the Top Trends Set to Shake Up this Year’s Hacker Conference — An ITSPmagazine Thought Leadership Webinar | https://www.crowdcast.io/c/whats-heating-up-before-black-hat-2025-place-your-bet-on-the-top-trends-set-to-shake-up-this-years-hacker-conference

Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverage

Want to tell your Brand Story Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More 👉 https://itspm.ag/evtcovbrf

Want Sean and Marco to be part of your event or conference? Let Us Know 👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com