OpenSSF at Hacker Summer Camp 2026: Black Hat & DEF CON Highlights and Recap

By Laura Guazzelli

Las Vegas was once again the center of the cybersecurity universe from August 1–9 for Black Hat and DEF CON 2026. The Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) had a major presence throughout the week, engaging with security leaders, project maintainers, and the broader community to advance open source security.

Whether you joined us to dive deep into software supply chain security, learned about the latest in open source secrets management, or grabbed a drink with fellow security advocates, here is a look back at OpenSSF’s highlights from Hacker Summer Camp.

Community Connections at the OpenSSF Happy Hour

Bringing everyone together to take a break from the busy conference floors provided a welcome respite. We hosted a Happy Hour Reception at The Cosmopolitan’s Vesper Lounge on August 4 and thank everyone who joined us.

It was an incredible evening of networking, idea sharing, and catching up with open source security leaders and advocates. Thank you to everyone who registered and joined us for this exclusive event!

OpenSSF Community on the Big Stage at Black Hat USA

We were incredibly proud to see our members and project contributors taking the stage to tackle some of the most pressing issues in cybersecurity today. Christopher Robinson (CRob) took the stage at The Convergence for a highly interactive AMA panel, answering the community’s toughest questions about what we are still getting wrong in software supply chain security.

Beyond the Expo Floor: Why the Best Black Hat Value Happens in the ‘Hallway Track’

In the hallway conversations, we met with members, the community, and prospective members to discuss the OpenSSF and Akrites initiatives.