The History of Wild West Hackin’ Fest
The most unique cybersecurity conference in the industry.
Community is everything.
Just a few of the speakers at the first Wild West Hackin’ Fest held in 2017.
For a complete list of the speakers at the first WWHF, click here.
THE HISTORY
Wild West Hackin’ Fest
It all started with a bet between John Strand and his wife, Erica Spurrier.
John had been an instructor and course author for the SANS Institute for years at this point, and Erica bet that if John gave a class on his own, in South Dakota where they live, that people would come.
So they started asking around among John’s friends and colleagues. Before long, the idea evolved into something more than just a single class. They would host a small cybersecurity conference in Deadwood, a small tourist town about 40 miles northwest of Rapid City, SD. The Wild West Hackin’ Fest was born…
To John’s surprise, not only did friends like Ed Skoudis, Johnny Long, Rob Fuller, Jonathan Ham, and many others show up for the party, but when all was said and done, around 550 people attended that first conference in 2017.
Suffice to say, John may have lost a bet, but the establishment of WWHF began something that continues to grow, bringing people to South Dakota every year for what has become, for some, an annual pilgrimage where they connect and/or reconnect with some of the finest talent cybersecurity has to offer.
affordable onsite and hybrid training that doesn’t break the bank
LEARN FROM LEGENDS IN CYBERSECURITY
Training at WWHF conferences range from introductory-level courses that engage beginners, to specialized courses focused on topics at the cutting edge of information security. WWHF always seeks to set fair prices on training courses so that budgetary constraints do not impede the professional development of budding infosec practitioners. And because we keep the number of live attendees below 1,000 people, following up with instructors during the conference is a lot easier and more meaningful than what typically happens at larger conferences with tens of thousands of people.
01
Choose an instructor
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02
Choose Onsite or Virtual
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03
Mark Your Calendar
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THE MOST UNIQUE CYBERSECURITY CONFERENCE YOU’LL EVER EXPERIENCE
Hackers Taking Over Deadwood
Deadwood, South Dakota, is quite literally in the middle of nowhere. So why on earth would we bring a conference there? The cybersecurity Community as a whole.
The Best Community
This unique adventure brings together some of the most remarkable members of our community in one intimate location.
Incredible support
With a smaller location and our incredible community, we can help provide a unique conference experience for you.
Experienced instructors
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Flexible schedule
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