The Best Security Conferences & Events 2026

For security professionals, your role is more visible than it ever has been, with news of cyberattacks and data breaches making headlines on a routine basis. After all, security relies on good data — and today, we have more data than ever. So, if you’re a security pro and looking to get back to in-person conferences, we’ve got you covered with this round-up of top security conferences and events for 2026.

Attending conferences is a great way to stay up to date with your industry and network and experienced and like-minded professionals. You can look for conferences that cover a wide variety of topics, or you can opt for a more niche events that cater to specific platforms, technologies or methodologies.

The good news is that these events now cater to a wider audience, with many in-person events continuing to offer a virtual or hybrid experience. These often come with lower price tags and access to knowledge that doesn't require travel.

To add to this list, contact sadunn@cisco.com with the conference/event name, dates, location, website and a quick summary.

InfoSec, Cybersecurity & IT Conferences and Events

Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit USA

Dates: December 8-10, 2025
Location: Grapevine, Texas
Cost: $3,995

This Gartner event is the leading IAM conference to help you make the right decisions about which identity-first security initiatives to prioritize, how to modernize existing staffing models and whether to invest in new tools to take your organization’s security posture into the identity-first era. Join over 1,500 IAM and security peers over 3 days, with 70+ sessions, 60+ vendors and 30+ IAM analysts.

SANS Cyber Threat Intelligence Summit & Training 2025

Dates: January 26 - February 2, 2026
Location: Alexandria, Virginia + Virtual
Cost: In-Person $625 / Free Virtual

For anyone in cyber threat intelligence (CTI), from newbies to experienced pros, this is the summit to get hands-on education and new perspectives that challenge traditional CTI assumptions. Learn, connect and share with thousands of global participants and walk away with real-world insights that you can put into action soon.

Apres-Cyber Slopes Summit

Dates: February 25-27, 2026
Location: Park City, Utah
Cost: Starting at $572

The Apres-Cyber Slopes Summit is a unique cybersecurity conference event set in the scenic Canyons Village at Park City, Utah, which is the largest ski resort in the USA. This event is specifically designed for cybersecurity leaders such as CISOs, CTOs, CIOs, CEOs, Directors, Managers, and Innovators, including those specializing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud Security Architecture.

The Apres-Cyber Slopes Summit combines intensive training and briefing sessions with the exhilarating experience of a ski resort, making it a one-of-a-kind event for cybersecurity professionals to enhance their skills, network with industry experts, and enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery.

Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit 2025 UK

Dates: March 9-10, 2026
Location: London, UK
Cost: Starting at €3,275

In a world where the traditional corporate network perimeter has become obsolete — the identity infrastructure has become the new battleground for bad actors. Identity and access management (IAM) models that rely on legacy approaches to manage identities of users and machines across growing lists of applications and environments have become complex and ill-equipped to adapt to changing needs of business and technological advancements.

Security leaders must evolve their IAM toward an identity-first approach that puts identity-based controls at the heart of your organization’s protection architecture to enhance its cybersecurity posture, while delivering digital transformation and business value. Join a community of experts and IAM leaders at Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit and participate in interactive and collaborative sessions, share experiences and access the latest research to equip you with a detailed plan that helps bring your organization into the identity-first era.

RSA Conference

Dates: March 23-26, 2026
Location: San Francisco, California
Cost: Starting at $2,195

Known across the cybersecurity landscape, RSA Conference bills itself as “Where the world talks about security”. RSAC is dedicated to fostering the power of community, recognizing that ideas become breakthroughs when shared and challenges transform into opportunities when tackled together. That’s why the theme for RSAC 2026 is 'The Power of Community.' Real change happens when cybersecurity professionals unite.

Like many conferences and events, they’ve also spun up a whole library of live and on-demand security trainings, videos, webinars and more, so check their schedule regularly throughout the year.

Don't forget to visit Splunk while you're at RSA! Stop by to talk with Splunkers on all things security.

(Check out our complete RSA Guide.)

47th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy

Dates: May 18-21, 2026
Location: San Francisco, California
Cost: TBD

The IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy is the premier forum for developments in computer security and electronic privacy — and it’s been so since 1980!

The 2026 Symposium will mark the 47th annual meeting. The conference itself spans four days, with one entire day devoted to workshops.

NICE Conference & Expo: Strengthening Ecosystems

Date: June 1-3, 2026
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost: TBD

The NICE Conference is the annual convening of community members and thought leaders from education, government, industry, and non-profits to explore ways of developing a skilled cybersecurity workforce ready to meet the challenges of the future. This event provides an opportunity to share best practices from around the world and across sectors to build the workforce we need to confront cybersecurity risks today and in years to come.

Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit

Dates: June 1-3, 2026
Location: National Harbor, Maryland
Cost: Starting at $4,475

Leading analyst firm Gartner hosts this annual event aims at security and risk leaders. 2026 conference topics include:

• AI in Cybersecurity: Learn how to securely integrate and govern AI while defending against AI-driven threats.
• Cyber Resilience: Discover strategies to strengthen your organization’s ability to withstand and adapt to disruptions.
• Cybersecurity Leadership, Management, and Governance: Explore ways to align cybersecurity programs with business goals and enhance leadership effectiveness.

38th Annual FIRST Conference

Dates: June 14-19, 2026
Location: Denver, Colorado
Cost: Starting at $2,950

FIRST is an international non-profit association of security professionals across the private, public, and academic sectors. Aiming to foster cooperation and coordination among computer security and incident response teams (CSIRTs), FIRST's annual conference provides a forum of shared goals, ideas, and information on improving security on a global scale.

Black Hat USA

Date: August 1-6, 2026
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Cost: TBD

A legend in the field going back 25+ years, Black Hat is the premier meet up of security engineers, developers, ethical hackers and leading companies. At this event, you can expect the absolute latest and biggest InfoSec research, development and trends. Spread over nearly a week, it usually follows a pattern of:

• Up to four days dedicated to hands-on and technical trainings
• Two days of main conference events including briefings, Business Hall, Arsenal and more

This setup enables attendees to network with InfoSec professionals from all corners and evaluate a whole slew of products, solutions and services on display that might just suit your needs. And don’t worry, we’ll certainly update our Black Hat Guide for the next event!

DEF CON 34

Date: August 6-9, 2026
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Cost: TBD

Come all ye hackers! DefCon has reached its 34th year and its grassroots vibe remains, despite its growth. In fact, the hacker convention has developed into its own subculture that has no-filming policies so that every year is a surprise.

Attendees come from all industries, including the federal government, who obviously have a massive stake in hacking to protect their networks. Other smaller “cons” or conventions pop up during the event, with notable ones including Queercon, Quietcon and Linecon.

Pro-tip of experienced attendees? Going to Black Hat and DefCon back-to-back, making this the ultimate week in any security pro’s calendar.

Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit

Date: September 22-24, 2026
Location: London, U.K.
Cost: Starting at €3,750

Analyst firm Gartner's events are some of the most respected in the industry. With this UK edition, returning to fully in-person this year, you can expect both established best practices and insights plus cutting-edge commentary on what's to come across all roles in the security landscape.

The most recent event in 2025 focused on key strategic necessities including:

• Cybersecurity Leadership
• Cyber Risk Management
• Infrastructure Security
• Application and Data Security
• Cybersecurity Operations
• The CISO Circle Program

Innovate Cybersecurity Summit – Scottsdale 2025

Dates: October 4-6, 2026
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Cost: TBD (Invite-Only event)

Innovate Cybersecurity Summit is a highly anticipated summit that brings together Cybersecurity Executives and CISOs from all corners of the country to the tranquil Arizona desert, assembling a national community of professionals for two days of exclusive, invite-only discussion and learning.

Attendees can expect a world-class experience with access to insightful CISO panels and education sessions that explore best practices and real-world challenges, unparalleled networking opportunities, and unique engagement with the industry’s latest cybersecurity technology solutions and vendors. A must-attend event for CISOs and leading Cybersecurity Practitioners looking to stay ahead of the game!

Wrapping Up

Whether you choose to attend an in-person or virtual Security event in 2026, there are many options to choose from to learn the latest best practices and frameworks.

Have a Security Conference you'd like to see added to this list? Send the author an email at sadunn@cisco.com and provide the location, date, cost, and details to be considered for the list.

Related Articles

Learn 3 Min Read

Intelligent Applications Explained

Intelligent Applications are a Top 10 Strategic Tech Trend from Gartner. Learn how an app can become intelligent — and what that means for business.

Learn 6 Min Read

Cybersecurity Policies: Types & Best Practices

Learn how to structure effective cybersecurity policies to protect critical systems, address evolving threats, and meet regulatory obligations.

Learn 6 Min Read

What Is Authorization?

Authorization is the process of deciding what actions, parts of a website, or application a given user can access after they have been authenticated.