Karen Burke

By Karen Burke and Chris Palm With Black Hat USA 2025 now officially over, it’s time to reflect on what we saw and heard. With Black Hat reporting fewer in-person attendees than last year, attendance did appear lighter at both the sessions and on the exhibit floor. As predicted, AI was everywhere, including a stand-alone AI Summit and AI Pavilion. While the short-term impact of AI on the enterprise is clear, long-term impact on business and its users is still murky.

Black Hat, one of the industry’s signature events, will take place from August 2-7 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. In this interview, Steve Wylie, Vice President and General Manager of Black Hat, previews what’s new this year, top content themes, the value the show delivers beyond lead generation, and how exhibitors can best maximize their experience. What are you most excited about for this year’s show?

A conversation with Professor Brian Creech (Chair of the Department of Journalism and Communication at Lehigh University) By Karen Burke (Cybersecurity Story + Content Lead at Big Valley Marketing) When I graduated from Lehigh University in journalism, I first worked at both newspapers and magazines before moving into book publishing and later, the tech field. At Lehigh, I learned fundamental writing and storytelling skills that I still use today.