In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host⁠ ⁠⁠Sherrod DeGrippo is joined by Grifter, the legendary Black Hat NOC lead, and Lintile, host of Hacker Jeopardy, to go behind the scenes of DEF CON and Black Hat. They unpack the chaos of managing the world’s most hostile networks, share advice for first-time attendees, and explore the vibrant hacker community that thrives on connection, contests, and lifelong friendships. The conversation also covers how to submit compelling CFP abstracts, why live events matter, and the controlled mayhem that defines Hacker Jeopardy each year in Las Vegas. 

Heading to Black Hat? Join us at booth #2246 where we will be recording new episodes, and request to attend the VIP Mixer. We’ll also be hosting the BlueHat podcast, our friends from GitHub, and experts from our incident response team. 

In this episode you’ll learn:      

Why skipping talks at DEF CON to join contests and villages can be more valuable 

Tips for crafting compelling CFP abstracts that stand out among 1,000+ submissions 

The importance of connection and niche technical discussions in the hacker community 

Some questions we ask:     

What advice would you give to someone who has never been to DEF CON? 

How does the team plan traps and misdirection in Hacker Jeopardy questions? 

What do you think the community should focus on getting out of DEF CON? 

Resources:  

View Sherrod DeGrippo on LinkedIn  

Related Microsoft Podcasts:                   

Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson 

The BlueHat Podcast 

Uncovering Hidden Risks     

Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts  

Get the latest threat intelligence insights and guidance at Microsoft Security Insider 

The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.