BSidesHamptonRoads2026

Hands-on experience with evaluating security exceptions and considering business needs and aggregate risk. Security teams are bombarded with exception requests that coincide with business deadlines. In this interactive workshop, attendees step into the shoes of an enterprise Risk Reviewer. They are given an incoming exception request and a messy packet of real-world security telemetry—risk register entries, SAST/DAST findings, secrets detection, infrastructure scans, pen test reports, and IT control coverage (MFA, SIEM logging, encryption, segmentation, WAF)—teams will work together to analyze compensating controls, map true aggregate risk, and deliver a structured decision package with mandatory mitigations and remediation timelines. Instructor: John Depalma

Hands-On Local AI for Red, Blue, and Purple Teams This practical, four-hour workshop equips cybersecurity practitioners with the skills to deploy, customize, and operate open-source Artificial Intelligence models completely offline and locally. Designed specifically for the BSides Hampton Roads community, this session bypasses the theoretical hype to deliver immediate, hands-on utility for offensive, defensive, and collaborative security operations. Attendees will learn how to set up lightweight, high-performance Large Language Models (LLMs) on their own hardware using open-source tools. The curriculum splits into targeted, interactive lab modules tailored to three core disciplines: • Red Teaming: Leveraging local LLMs to automate sophisticated phishing payload generation, obfuscate malware scripts, and accelerate initial access reconnaissance without exposing infrastructure data to third-party APIs. • Blue Teaming: Utilizing open-source models to parse complex log files, automate log analysis, identify indicators of compromise (IoCs), and rapidly generate tailored detection engineering rules. • Purple Teaming: Building collaborative feedback loops where local AI acts as a force multiplier, automating continuous threat simulation and validating detection logic in real time. By the conclusion of this workshop, participants will break through the barriers of cloud reliance, data privacy concerns, and API costs. Everyone will leave with a fully functional, containerized local AI toolkit ready to enhance their daily security operations safely and securely. Instructor: Tom Bendien

Hybrid - attendees on site, instructors remote. Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions offer a great way to acquire new technical skills. If you have never participated in a CTF event before, it can feel intimidating to try. This workshop will walk you through the different types of cybersecurity competitions and go in-depth on jeopardy-style CTFs. You will learn what skills are needed to participate, how to approach the challenges, and what are some of the common tools you may want to be familiar with. We will go over an example CTF as a group, and you will have a chance to work through several example CTF challenges at your own pace with unlimited hints and guidance from our volunteers. We hope that you walk away not only with some new security skills but also the confidence to participate in a CTF on your own. Instructor: Nikola Bura