Internationally Acclaimed Security Expert, Haroon Meer, to Keynote Black Hat Europe 2015

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Black Hat, the world's leading family of information security events, announced that Haroon Meer, international security researcher and founder of applied research company, Thinkst, will keynote Black Hat Europe 2015. Widely known for his published works on information security as well as compelling public addresses at conferences around the world, Meer will present a candid assessment of the current challenges the industry faces and how  the community of InfoSec professionals may be doing more harm than good. For more information and to save €200 on your Briefings Pass by this November 5, visit blackhat.com/eu-15/.

Haroon Meer is the founder of Thinkst, an applied research company with a deep focus on information security. Previously, Meer was the Technical Director and CTO of SensePost, where he built and led the company's technical team for nearly a decade. He has contributed to several books on information security over the years and has written extensively about penetration testing and related topics. His ability to dissect complex problems in the InfoSec space has led him to the stage of many prestigious events, including past Black Hat conferences where he has demonstrated a variety of proof-of-concept attack and defense techniques. It's an honor to have such a seasoned and well-received Briefings speaker back as keynote for Black Hat Europe 2015.

What Got Us Here Won't Get Us There
Haroon Meer will take the keynote stage at Black Hat Europe on Thursday, November 12, 2015. In his talk, "What Got Us Here Won't Get Us There," (a riff on Marshall Goldsmith's best seller, What Got You Here Won't Get You There), Meer will dissect the difficult question of why despite growing security budgets and larger InfoSec teams we are still struggling to solve problems we've "known about" since the 90s. In addition to discussing the problems we should be tackling, Meer will explore those activities that we're currently engaged in (as individuals and as an industry) that are doing us all more harm than good.

Black Hat Briefings:
The infamous Black Hat Briefings – the main talks – headline every annual show. Spanning two days (November 12-13), the Briefings are packed with the very latest attack and defense research the industry has to offer. This year, the brightest regional and international minds in InfoSec will come together to expose vulnerabilities and remediation techniques on everything from self-driving cars and mobile technology, to banking networks, critical international infrastructure and everything in between. To see the full lineup of Briefings announced so far, visit: blackhat.com/eu-15/briefings.html.

Black Hat Trainings:
Kicking off the week prior to the Black Hat Briefings, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in any of the 10 deeply technical and hands-on Training sessions offered at Black Hat Europe 2015. Led by some of the most sought-after security experts in the field, these separate Trainings run November 10-11 and cover everything from penetration testing and infrastructure hacking to OSINT for social engineers and even the latest in incident response. For more information and to sign-up for the Training(s) of your choice before they sell out, visit: blackhat.com/eu-15/training/.

Black Hat Student Scholarships:
Proudly being offered in Europe for the second year, the Black Hat Student Scholarship Program is a way to introduce the next generation of security professionals to the Black Hat community. A limited number of complimentary Academic Passes will be awarded to student applicants for Black Hat Europe 2015. Qualified students may submit applications by Friday, October 16, 2015. For more information and requirements, visit: blackhat.com/eu-15/student-scholarship-program.html.

Top Sponsors of Black Hat Europe 2015 include: Diamond Sponsors: Cylance and Design SHIFT; Platinum Sponsors: EIT Digital - Action Lines PST and CLD, Palo Alto Networks and SecureAuth; and Gold Sponsors: Checkmarx, Exabeam, Fortinet, Imperva, Inc., Proofpoint Inc., Qualys, Rapid7, and Veracode.

• For more information on sponsorship opportunities as well as the full list of exhibiting companies, visit: blackhat.com/eu-15/event-sponsors.html.

Future Black Hat Dates and Events

• Black Hat Europe 2015, Amsterdam RAI, Amsterdam, NL, November 10-13, 2015
• Black Hat Executive Summit 2015, Omni Montelucia Resort, Scottsdale, AZ, December 8-10, 2015
• Black Hat Asia 2016, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, March 29 – April 1, 2016
• Black Hat USA 2016, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada, July 30 – August 4, 2016

About Black Hat
For more than 18 years, Black Hat has provided attendees with the very latest in information security research, development, and trends. These high-profile global events and trainings are driven by the needs of the security community, striving to bring together the best minds in the industry. Black Hat inspires professionals at all career levels, encouraging growth and collaboration among academia, world-class researchers, and leaders in the public and private sectors. Black Hat Briefings and Trainings are held annually in the United States, Europe and Asia, and are produced by UBM Tech. More information is available at: blackhat.com.

About UBM Tech
UBM Tech engages technology professionals live and online through its world-class brands, including Black Hat, InformationWeek, Enterprise Connect, Game Developers Conference (GDC), Dark Reading, HDI, GTEC, Network Computing and Interop. We're dedicated to fostering real engagement by creating environments where the technology industry can make connections, share insights, and network effectively. UBM Tech is the only media company that delivers large-scale industry events, leading online brands and content marketing services serving the Enterprise IT, Information Security, Game Development, Enterprise Communications and Technical Services and Support communities. UBM Tech is a part of UBM (UBM.L), a global provider of media and information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion. For more information, go to http://tech.ubm.com.

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SOURCE Black Hat