SecretCon 5 (2027) Theme: "No One Is Coming To Save Us." 

Thank you for considering submitting to speak at SecretCon 5, May 6-7, 2027, and joining us in St Paul, Minnesota!

“No One Is Coming To Save Us” is a call to take initiative, question the systems we trust, and help each other solve problems. When submitting a talk, consider how your research, creative hacks, hard-earned lessons, or unconventional ideas can empower attendees to act. What will they leave better equipped to understand, challenge, build, or defend? You don’t need to have every answer, you could have even failed! The theme is about recognizing that we have a role in shaping what happens next, and we’re stronger when we do it together.

SecretCon 5 is about challenging the systems that shape what we see, what we trust, what we build, and how we behave. From algorithmic feeds and AI-generated reality to surveillance capitalism, corporate platforms, compliance theater, dark patterns, and locked-down ecosystems, modern technology increasingly pushes people toward passive consumption and unquestioned defaults.

Hackers push back. For year five of SecretCon , we are looking for talks that show courage, question authority, reclaim digital agency, and remind people that technology is still something we can 'control', explore, break, rebuild, and understand. Bring us your technical research, live demos, uncomfortable truths, creative mischief, privacy lessons, failures, security deep dives, and ideas that make people leave the room thinking differently. Maybe they can save us?

Details:

Please only submit if you genuinely intend to attend and present in person. CypherCon does not cover speaker travel, lodging, or related expenses.

Speaker setup is simple: bring your laptop, plug into our presentation system, and we’ll handle the rest. HDMI is typically used, and adapters will be available.

Selected speakers receive complimentary admission to the full CypherCon event with a electronic speaker badge, additional speaker benefits to be announced, usually free passes (with conditions) for family/friends and the ability to upgrade to a fun pre-event dinner. Plan on something the evening of May 5th :)

Again: Travel and hotel costs remain the responsibility of the speaker.

Thank you for supporting our Minnesota community!