Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- Three-day cybersecurity conference in Quebec City featuring technical workshops, Capture The Flag competitions, and interactive security villages
- Covers offensive security, red teaming, cryptography, SCADA, IoT, social engineering, and compliance topics including PCI
- POLAR track provides dedicated programming for security leaders and executive decision-makers
- Targets security practitioners, CISOs, IT managers, students, and public and private sector organizations
About Hackfest 2026
Hackfest 2026 is an annual cybersecurity conference held at the Quebec City Convention Centre, recognized as the largest event of its kind in the region. The three-day program combines conferences, hands-on workshops, CTF competitions, and interactive villages focused on specific security domains. Internationally recognized speakers deliver sessions spanning technical deep-dives to executive-level discussions.
Technical and Strategic Focus Areas
The conference addresses both technical and strategic dimensions of information security. Core subject areas include red teaming, cryptography, SCADA systems, IoT security, and social engineering. Sessions also cover security operations, compliance frameworks such as PCI, and current industry trends. The hands-on format emphasizes practical skill development alongside theoretical knowledge.
POLAR Track for Security Leaders
The POLAR track caters specifically to security leaders and decision-makers, offering content tailored to executive-level concerns including security strategy, organizational risk, and policy considerations. This track runs alongside the technical programming, allowing organizations to send both practitioners and leadership to relevant sessions.
Who Should Attend
Hackfest serves cybersecurity analysts, engineers, penetration testers, red team operators, security architects, IT managers, and CISOs. Students and educators also attend, as do policy-makers from public sector organizations. The event provides recruitment and networking opportunities for organizations seeking to strengthen their security teams or connect with the broader cybersecurity community.
Sponsors
Supporting organizations include Vooban, Palo Alto Networks, Proofpoint, OWASP, TELUS, Devolutions, TrendAI, CyVault, EliteSec, ASTATE, Cégep Garneau, Groupe Cosior, It2Go, Secur01, POKA, Talenty, Sekcore, and Vendel.