Part of New England Information Security Alliance - 1 group

Boston Security Meetup

Name: Boston Security January 2026 Meetup
Start: 2026-01-15T23:30:00.000Z
End: 2026-01-16T01:30:00.000Z
Location: EnergySage

4.8•642 ratings

Cambridge, MA, US

3,765 members · Public group

What we’re about

Who Are We, What Are We, Why Are We Doing This?
The Boston area has one of the most diverse information security ecosystems in the world.

We understand that the current community has several various meetups/events and expect some skepticism, so let us tell you what we are about:

• We are putting this together for Hackers & Information Security professionals to have a safe place to come meet like-minded people, share cool ideas, and discuss real issues.
• Our events are not a place for sales or recruiting. We will politely ask anyone that engages in this behavior to leave (this includes sponsors), unless we have an event specifically designed to engage those relevant parties (e.g., a recruiting event).
• Content starts at 7PM, with doors opening at 6:30PM to socialize. Content will be in the form of lightning talks (10-20 minutes), with breaks to meet and chat in-between. We aim for content to conclude between 8:15 and 8:30 PM, but will just go with the flow.
• Content will be driven by the community. We also remember that a big part of these events is to bring the community together, so lightning talks are preferred. This will not be a place that you come after work to watch people lecture at you for three hours. Contact the organizers if you wanna do talk or have content ideas!

• RSVPs are highly encouraged (and sometimes strictly required depending on the venue) for our events, but unless specified otherwise all practitioners, or those interested in learning about security, are encouraged to come eat, drink, meet others in the community, and share ideas... no strings attached.

• If you would like to submit a talk for speaking please fill out the details at https://forms.gle/eqFV9RQz5uefnmqY6
• For any queries or general feedback/suggestions please email us at boston.secmeetup@gmail.com

Code of Conduct - Adapted from DEF CON's CoC Page.

Boston Security Meetup (BSM) provides a forum for open discussion between participants, where radical viewpoints are welcome and a high degree of skepticism is expected. However, insulting or harassing other participants is unacceptable. We want BSM to be a safe and productive environment for everyone. It’s not about what you look like but what’s in your mind and how you present yourself that counts at BSM.
We do not condone harassment against any participant, for any reason. Harassment includes deliberate intimidation and targeting individuals in a manner that makes them feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, or afraid.
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. We reserve the right to respond to harassment in the manner we deem appropriate, including but not limited to expulsion and referral to the relevant authorities.
This Code of Conduct applies to everyone participating at BSM - from attendees and exhibitors to speakers, press, volunteers, and Organizers.
Anyone can report harassment. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, you can contact an Organizer.

Remember: The Meetup is what you make of it, and as a community we can create a great experience for everyone.

(BSM is not in any way affiliated with DEF CON or any of its subsidiaries. Original copy of their CoC can be found at https://defcon.org/html/links/dc-code-of-conduct.html)

Featured event

Boston Security January 2026 Meetup

Thu, Jan 15 · 6:30 PM EST

EnergySage, 3 Center Plz, Boston, MA, US

Important Notice

All meetup venues we currently use require us to provide a list of names (First & Last) to their door security so they can check people in at the time of the event. We are also required to bring "a picture ID" that matches the name we provide at the time of registration. Please be mindful of this requirement and provide the necessary information to ensure a smooth check in process at the door. Thank you for your cooperation - the management! RSVP closes September 17th 4 PM, RSVP soon to reserve a spot! There will be no entry without a confirmed RSVP.

ONLY HUMANS ALLOWED AT THIS EVENT

FIRST MEETUP OF 2026!

What: 2 stellar AI related talks, buckle up folks!

>>> Bring your favorite stickers and tell us where you got it. Bring extras and swap it with fellow security enthusiasts at the sticker swap table! <<<

Talk 1 - Modern AI Red Team by Aaron Portnoy

Description
Modern AI red teaming requires fluency across three distinct but interdependent domains. The first is AI/ML security, where probabilistic models, embeddings, and weights generate opaque behaviors that defy traditional assurance methods. The second is offensive security, where vulnerabilities, unauthorized access, and misconfigurations remain core vectors for compromise. The third is behavioral psychometrics, a mature science newly applied to AI red teaming where measurement of human traits and susceptibility highlights the emerging cognitive-behavioral attack surface. Framed together as probabilities, vulnerabilities, and psychometrics, this talk outlines how these pillars intersect, where current defenses fall short, and why effective AI security demands that we treat models, machines, and minds as equally exploitable terrain.

Speaker Bio
Aaron Portnoy is a security researcher, reverse engineer, speaker, and educator. Aaron has delivered over 30 invited talks across global stages, including Black Hat, USENIX, Recon, Microsoft BlueHat, and the NSA Distinguished Speaker Series. Presentation topics have spanned reverse engineering methodologies, economic drivers of zero-day trade, large-scale vulnerability discovery, and exploit automation. Recognized by academic institutions such as NYU and Dartmouth for his contributions to offensive computing education. His work has also been featured on the cover of TIME Magazine and referenced in numerous university-level curricula. Aaron ran the Zero Day Initiative at TippingPoint/3Com (later Hewlett-Packard and now part of Trend Micro), where he was the architect and judge of the first six competitions of Pwn2Own, a premier hacking event that awards prizes for demonstrating zero-day exploits.

Talk 2 - Bridging the AI Reality Gap by John Murray

Description
It’s easy to talk about the future of AI or create snazzy demos of agents in action, but it’s difficult to make something that performs consistently with a high rate of accuracy. Attend this session to get under the covers of how Google is building AI into our security products. Learn about the data science processes in place that measure individual tasks of the end-to-end system, and why that’s important to help our customers fight threat actors.

Speaker Bio
John is a Product Manager for Google CloudSec AI (AI features within our Security Products not how to secure AI products). 16 years in Cybersecurity from a 2 person startup to large enterprises.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/murraj2/

When: January 15, 2026, Doors Open 6:30 PM, Talks start 7 PM

Where: EnergySage
3 Center Plz,
Boston MA 02145