Meet the Experts At Black Hat 2025

• August 2-7, we’re hitting Las Vegas for Black Hat USA 2025—where the latest innovations in cybersecurity shine in the Arsenal.
• Attendees can geek out with the Symantec and Carbon Black engineers and product experts shaping the future of threat defense.
• Stop by Booth 5045 for 1:1 security chats; demos of the latest in endpoint, network and InfoSec; and an AI photobooth that helps you fulfill your rockstar dreams.

For every ransomware headline, there’s a team of people already working on how to stay ahead not just of that headline threat, but the next one, and the next and…well, you get it. Tools and tactics are important, but real security is built by the people driving it forward. Researchers, engineers, analysts and teams like the Symantec and Carbon Black Threat Hunters work together to predict all manner of trends, stay ahead of highly aggressive threats and define what legendary security is made of. 

Forged through trial, our battle-tested community stands strong. Their hearts and minds create a vast network focused on solving complex problems to keep us all safe today and beyond. This August, our epic Legends Never Die world tour comes to Las Vegas for Black Hat USA 2025—and we’re bringing all the brainpower. 

These are the minds behind industry breakthroughs like endpoint security’s latest AI-powered weapon—Incident Prediction—and the fierce protectors driving Symantec and Carbon Black’s leading solutions. At the end of the day, it’s not just about the tech, but also collaboration—and the best ones always start with a good conversation. Here’s just a few of the folks you can pull for a chat.

Talk nerdy to us 

To mark our tour’s return to US soil, we’ve gathered a powerhouse lineup of experts who live and breathe cybersecurity. These folks have seen it all—AI hype cycles, open-source Arsenal innovations and the evolution of cloud-based security—and they’re more than ready to share their expertise and spotlight all the latest innovation Black Hat 2025 has to offer. 

Dan Mellinger

Head of Communications 
Security.com’s Man in the Field

Hey, it’s me. I’ll be all over Black Hat on a top secret mission for something big coming to Security.com (but you didn’t hear that from me). This is my ninth Black Hat (oof…somebody help me out of my chair), and I’m expecting this one will cut through the AI hype of earlier years to what’s actually helpful. Swing by Booth 5045—we’re showing off a new AI-powered threat investigation tool that’s actually worth the buzz.

Kirk Hasty

Technical Product Engineer
Carbon Black Expert and Endpoint Sleuth

If it lives on an endpoint, Kirk is your guy. He’s all about diving deeper—and phishing for bass (not emails). Ask him how to catch subtle signs of compromise and reel in even more value out of Carbon Black’s award-winning solutions. 

Lee Mussehl 

Technical Product Engineer
Black Hat and App Control Whiz   

Lee’s been holding it down at Black Hat for a decade this year. But she won’t just show you how to talk all day without stopping, she’ll also tell you how Carbon Black App Control helps you support your Zero Trust initiatives while protecting assets other tools overlook. Come nerd out with her over how a positive security, default/deny posture not only protects you on premises and in the cloud, but also optimizes productivity so well it pays for itself. 

Rich Logsdon

Technical Product Engineer
Network Security and Sci-Fi Expert

Rich will walk you through Zero Trust, Web Isolation and Cloud SWG like a pro—because he is one. If you’re curious about extending your perimeter to the cloud, beam over for a briefing. But if you’d rather talk about Heinlein or Crouch, know Sci-Fi is actually his native language.

Matthew Kane 

Technical Product Engineer
Adaptive Protection’s #1 Fan

Matthew’s seen endpoint threats evolve at a speed and aggression that would make other engineers run for the hills. Instead, he stood by your defenses and helped usher in Incident Prediction, the industry’s first AI-powered endpoint security weapon. And he can walk you through it in under five minutes. 

Shanleigh Reardon

Product Marketing Manager
Coolest EDR Dweeb Ever

Shanleigh knows endpoint security inside and out, especially when it comes to Symantec Endpoint Security Complete (SESC). If you want a crash course in SESC's Adaptive Protection, she won’t sugarcoat it—expect real talk and sharp product insights. It might be just her second Black Hat this year, but she’s a veteran in endpoint security.  

Tom Salmond

Senior Manager and Technical Product Engineer
Folk-Dancing Secure Service Edge (SSE) Champion

Tom’s here to talk about Symantec and Carbon Black and all the benefits you can reap from their combined powers. Aside from showing you how integrated solutions (from a single vendor) keep you locked and loaded, he might show you a few killer dance moves from his days representing the U.S. at folk dancing festivals, or share his experience from his more than 26 years with Symantec 

Ernie Simmons 

Technical Product Engineer
DLP Diehard

It may not seem like it at first blush, but Data Loss Prevention (DLP) doesn’t have to be complicated. And we know just the guy to prove it. Let Ernie demystify DLP integration across your hybrid environments. He’ll even shed light on how Symantec DLP can keep your sensitive data from sliding into GenAI engines. 

Michael Schlanhart

Technical Product Engineer
Seamless Symantec Stack Whisperer (SSSW)

Backstage, Michael’s all about making things work together, especially when it comes to AI-driven protection and visibility. Chat with him for insider knowledge on machine learning engines and seamless integration of endpoint AI behind Symantec’s industry-leading portfolio.  

Paul Miller

Security Strategist
Lead Guitarist and Black Hat OG

Paul keeps a sharp eye on where the industry’s headed, with insights forged over years in the trenches. In addition to attending the first Black Hat (along with its predecessor, DEF CON), Paul even helped stop a malevolent attempt to trigger a nuclear apocalypse (true story!). Whether sharing his perspectives in writing (read his hot takes from this year’s RSAC™ Conference) or hearing it firsthand on the show floor, he’s the chap to hit up if you want the inside track on what’s worth watching, including how Threat Tracer will help save your analysts’ sanity. Oh, he also lives in Vegas, so he can share intel on the city that never sleeps.

Alan Hall

Head of Network Product Marketing
Network Nostradamus 

Alan’s been to at least 12 Black Hats—he’s lost count, but trust, it’s a lot. Somewhat of a BH connoisseur, he’s got a knack for networks and conversation that’ll probably have you cracking a laugh. If you’re a fellow Kiwi, drop a kia ora ("hello" in Māori) and ask about Symantec’s performance on Google Cloud—spoiler alert: it’s choice (IYKYK).

Elisa Lippincott

Senior Product Marketing Manager
Lead Voice (of the field) and GTM Strategist

Elisa bridges the gap between what organizations need and what we build. She’s been coming to Black Hat since 2005 (for the most part) way back when giving out fun-size Snickers was enough to turn a 10x10 booth into a show floor sensation. She also almost became an American Gladiator, but we’ll let her tell you the rest. Ask her about her wine inventory categorization system, and see if you're worthy of a "red sticker" wine.

Now that you’ve gotten to know some of our headliners (that's right, there's more),  here’s where you come in. 

No need to slide into our DMs—head to Booth #5045

We want to see you at the next stop on our legendary world tour in Las Vegas. As always, we’re turning up the volume on what it means to build defenses forged in fire and tested in the real world. Whether you’ve got a burning technical question, a hot take or just want to geek out with others who get it, we’ll be there. 

Come find us at Booth #5045 and see what happens when legends get loud.