Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- Inaugural offensive security meetup in Vilnius spanning two evenings on 17–18 November 2026
- Technical focus on exploitation, red teaming, penetration testing, bug bounty hunting, and vulnerability research
- Beginner-friendly Capture The Flag competition with €2,000 in cash prizes
- Designed for penetration testers, security engineers, CTF players, developers, and students at all experience levels
- Vendor-pitch-free format emphasising technical merit and community knowledge sharing
Introduction
The Vilnius Offensive Security Meetup marks the first dedicated gathering for Lithuania’s offensive security community, bringing together practitioners, researchers, and enthusiasts for two evenings of technical presentations and hands-on challenges. Hosted by Offensive360, the event addresses a gap in the Baltic region’s security landscape by establishing a recurring forum where professionals can exchange knowledge on exploitation techniques, red team operations, and vulnerability research without commercial distractions. As organisations across industries face increasingly sophisticated threats, events that foster practical skill development and peer-to-peer learning have become essential for maintaining defensive capabilities.
About This Event
Taking place on 17–18 November 2026 at Artis Centrum Hotels in Vilnius, the meetup combines multiple formats to accommodate different participation styles. The programme includes full-length technical talks selected on merit, lightning talks designed to give first-time speakers a platform, and a beginner-friendly Capture The Flag competition offering €2,000 in prizes. The organisers have also incorporated live stand-up comedy to create a more relaxed atmosphere between technical sessions.
The event operates on a vendor-pitch-free basis, meaning presentations focus exclusively on technical content rather than product demonstrations or sales messaging. This approach reflects a broader trend within security communities toward events that prioritise practitioner value over commercial interests.
Technical Focus Areas
The meetup covers the core disciplines within offensive security, including penetration testing methodologies, red team operations, and bug bounty hunting. Presentations draw on real-world security work, examining practical failures, exploitation techniques, and lessons learned from vulnerability research. The inclusion of responsible disclosure as a discussion topic reflects the ethical considerations that underpin legitimate security research and the importance of coordinated vulnerability reporting.
Security tooling forms another significant thread, encompassing the development and application of instruments used in source code analysis, web application scanning, and mobile application security testing. These tools represent the technical foundation that enables security professionals to identify weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them.
The Role of CTF Competitions in Skill Development
Capture The Flag competitions have become a standard training mechanism within the security community, offering participants structured challenges that simulate real-world vulnerabilities in a controlled environment. The Vilnius meetup positions its CTF as beginner-friendly, lowering the barrier to entry for students and professionals transitioning into offensive security roles. These competitions develop problem-solving abilities, technical intuition, and familiarity with common vulnerability classes that practitioners encounter during professional engagements.
Who Should Attend
The meetup welcomes participants across the experience spectrum, from students exploring security careers to principal engineers with established expertise. The target audience includes penetration testers conducting authorised security assessments, red teamers simulating adversary behaviour, and blue team defenders seeking to understand offensive techniques. Bug bounty hunters, application security engineers, DevSecOps practitioners, and SOC analysts will find relevant content, as will software developers interested in understanding how vulnerabilities emerge in code.
No certifications or prior experience are required, and the organisers have emphasised that beginners are genuinely welcome rather than merely tolerated.
Building Local Security Communities
The event responds to a recognised need for regular, informal technical gatherings within Lithuania’s security sector. While major conferences serve important functions, smaller community meetups enable more direct knowledge exchange and relationship building among local practitioners. These networks prove valuable when professionals need to discuss emerging threats, share intelligence, or collaborate on research outside formal organisational structures. By establishing a recurring event, the organisers aim to create sustained momentum rather than a one-time gathering.