BSides Maine Highlights Diverse Speaker Lineup, Hands-On Community Programming at Sold-Out Inaugural Conference

Sold-out BSides Maine debuts May 30 with expert talks, hands-on demos, and community programming, showcasing AI, ICS, IoT, and modern cyber threats.

PORTLAND, ME, UNITED STATES, April 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- BSides Maine, the state’s first community-driven cybersecurity conference, has announced a full day of technical presentations, hands-on activities, and community programming for its inaugural event on May 30, 2026. The conference is now sold out, with an active waitlist for additional ticket releases, underscoring the demand for accessible, high-quality security education and the strength of the local Maine community.

The event will be headlined by keynote speaker Jayson E. Street, an internationally recognized cybersecurity expert, author, and DEF CON Groups Global Ambassador. His keynote will reflect on more than fifteen years of real-world offensive security work, highlighting persistent gaps in security practices and the challenges organizations continue to face.

Broad Range of Technical Talks

The presentation slate spans a wide cross-section of the cybersecurity field, bringing together practitioners working in enterprise security operations, industrial control systems, software supply chain defense, embedded systems, artificial intelligence, and red team tooling.

- Tom Smit will examine large-scale SOC simulation exercises, revealing systemic detection failures and gaps in analyst workflows when responding to complex intrusions.
- Chriss Hansen will focus on incident response in industrial control systems, exploring how critical infrastructure such as water and power systems is secured in practice.
- Diptendu Kar will break down modern supply chain attacks targeting the npm ecosystem, including how trusted packages are compromised and the limitations of AI-based detection.
- Matt Davis will present a deep dive into embedded device security, following a hands-on journey from firmware extraction to hardware modification and reverse engineering.
- Morgan Willis will explore the risks of deploying AI agents in production environments and provide guidance for building reliable, secure architectures.
- Christopher Haller will introduce ProfileHound, an open-source tool that enhances BloodHound analysis by incorporating credential-rich user profile data from endpoints.

Community-Driven Experience

Beyond the main stage, BSides Maine emphasizes hands-on learning and community engagement.

The Community Floor, open from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, will feature local and regional groups actively contributing to the high-tech ecosystem, including

Maine Mesh project - https://github.com/JFRHorton/MaineMesh
OWASP Portland - https://owasp.org/www-chapter-portland-me/
DC207 - https://www.dc207.org/
Offsec - https://www.offsec.com/about/
Maine ISC2 Chapter - https://isc2mainechapter.org/
MaineSec - https://www.mainesec.org/

Attendees will have opportunities to connect directly with practitioners, explore ongoing projects, and engage in informal, high-value discussions.

Dedicated demo and activity spaces will provide interactive experiences, including lock picking and bypass demonstrations led by TOOOL Maine, RFID cloning and testing, and hardware security experimentation such as malicious USB devices. These sessions are designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice, giving participants hands-on exposure to real-world attack techniques and defenses.

The conference also features a Chill Out Room, offering a quiet, low-stimulation environment for attendees to relax and recharge—supporting accessibility and inclusivity as part of the event’s community-first design.

A Growing Regional Security Community

BSides Maine represents a significant milestone for the state’s cybersecurity community, bringing together professionals, researchers, students, hobbyists, and organizations from across Maine and New England.

BSides Maine extends sincere thanks to the organizations whose support makes this inaugural event possible, and will be present to talk to attendees about their products and services.

Silver Sponsors who provided the critical backing needed to help us deliver high-quality programming: Semgrep, TrustedSec, and Deer Brook.

Bronze Sponsors who support the growth of Maine’s cybersecurity community: C4 Communications, Defendify, Riptide Technologies, and the Northern New England Neutral Internet Exchange (NNENIX).

For full event details and ways to get involved, visit:

https://www.bsidesmaine.org

Ben Strout
BSides Maine
+1 2074504550
contact@bsidesmaine.org

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