Call for Speakers
MEACS at DEF CON 34 2026
6 Aug 2026
9 Aug 2026
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
meacs.org/
Middle Easterners & Africans in Cyber Security (MEACS) is a community space at DEF CON dedicated to connecting cybersecurity researchers, engineers, students, and independent hackers with origins from the Middle East and Africa with the broader global security ecosystem at DEF CON. Our mission is to amplify technical voices from the region, encourage collaboration across borders, and create a consistent space for learning, mentorship, and research exchange.
Cybersecurity talent across the Middle East and Africa is growing quickly, spanning offensive research, defensive engineering, threat intelligence, cloud security, mobile security, and critical infrastructure protection. Yet many practitioners from these communities remain underrepresented at major global conferences. MEACS provides a hacker-focused environment where their work, ideas, and experiences can be shared directly with the DEF CON community.
Attendees can expect technical discussions centered on real-world security challenges and research. This includes vulnerability discovery, exploitation techniques, defensive architecture, threat analysis, secure system design, bug bounty experiences, and lessons learned from operating in rapidly evolving digital environments. The space may include lightning talks, collaborative discussions, open research conversations, and structured networking designed to spark long-term collaboration.
MEACS relates directly to hacking because it is rooted in curiosity, experimentation, responsible disclosure, and technical knowledge sharing. It reflects core hacker values: understanding how systems work, challenging assumptions, improving security through transparency, and learning through hands-on engagement. The group is not about identity alone. It is about building technical community around shared security interests and research.
Participants will be able to:
Share and discuss security research
Connect with peers across the MEA region and globally
Form collaborations for projects, CTF teams, and open source initiatives
Explore offensive and defensive security career paths
Engage in conversations about regional threat landscapes and defenses
Build lasting professional relationships within the DEF CON ecosystem
MEACS contributes a new perspective to DEF CON by expanding global participation in technical security discussions while remaining fully aligned with the conference’s hacker ethos. It strengthens cross-regional collaboration, increases visibility for independent researchers, and helps cultivate the next generation of security contributors from the Middle East and Africa.
Our goal is to build a sustainable community presence that extends beyond the event and continues fostering collaboration, research visibility, and technical growth year after year.
Call for Speakers
22 Jun 2026
21 Jul 2026
MEACS at DEF CON 34: Call for Papers
Middle Easterners & Africans in Cyber Security (MEACS) is now accepting submissions for DEF CON 34, August 6 to 9, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. We are looking for technical talks, demos, panels, and hands-on sessions from researchers, engineers, students, and independent hackers with roots in the Middle East and Africa, shared directly with the DEF CON community.
DEF CON 34's theme is Agency: self-determination in how we build and use technology. MEACS exists in that spirit, to amplify technical voices from the region and put your work in front of the global security community.
What we're looking for
Technical, research-driven submissions grounded in real work. Topic areas include but are not limited to:
- Vulnerability discovery and exploitation techniques
- Defensive architecture and secure system design
- Threat intelligence and regional threat landscapes
- Cloud, mobile, and critical infrastructure security
- Bug bounty findings and responsible disclosure stories
- Tooling, open source releases, and live demos
- Lessons from building or breaking systems in fast-moving environments
We prioritize new research, original practitioner experience, and work that sparks collaboration over marketing narratives.
Session formats
- Lightning talk: 15 minutes
- Talk: 30 minutes to 60 minutes
- Panel: 30 to 60 minutes
- Hands-on workshop: up to 2.5 hours
- CTF or hands-on challenge: up to 2.5 hours
Pick the format that fits your material. If you're unsure, propose one and we can adjust on acceptance.
Who can submit
Researchers, engineers, students, and independent hackers with roots in or strong ties to the Middle East and Africa, including the diaspora. Presenters from outside the region are welcome.
What your submission should include
- A clear title
- An abstract for the program (250 words max)
- A detailed outline or research summary
- Your chosen format
- Technical level: intro, intermediate, or advanced
- Speaker name(s), a short bio, and any relevant prior talks or work
- Any demo, AV, or network requirements
- Whether you need a speaker badge (a limited number are available)
- Whether the work is previously unpublished or has been presented elsewhere
How we review
- Technical depth and originality
- Real-world relevance and applicability
- Clarity and quality of the outline
- Responsible disclosure compliance for any vulnerability work
- Fit with the MEACS mission and the DEF CON hacker ethos
Conditions of participation
Submissions must be your own original work, or you must hold the right to present it.
No vendor pitches, sales decks, or product marketing.
Vulnerability research must follow responsible disclosure. Do not submit material under an active NDA or embargo you cannot clear before the event.
Presenters agree to the DEF CON Code of Conduct and MEACS community guidelines.
Presenters must attend DEF CON 34 in person.
Sessions may be recorded and shared on MEACS channels with your consent. You can opt out at acceptance.
A limited number of speaker badges are available for accepted presenters who need them. Note your need in your submission.
Accepted speakers grant MEACS permission to list the talk title, abstract, and bio in the program and on MEACS channels.
Key dates
- CFP opens: June 22, 2026, 8:00 AM EST
- Submission deadline: July 22, 2026, 11:59 PM EST
- Notifications: rolling, with all decisions sent by [July 27, 2026]
- Event: August 6 to 9, 2026, LVCC West Hall, Las Vegas
How to submit
Submit through Sessionize: [your Sessionize CFP link]. Questions to Amber Bennoui at amberb617@gmail.com.
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