Black Hat, the cybersecurity industry’s most established and in-depth security event series, and Semperis, the identity-driven cyber resilience and crisis management company, today announced that the world premiere of the groundbreaking cyberwar documentary Midnight in the War Room will take place Wednesday, August 5, 2026, during Black Hat USA, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Founded in 1997, Black Hat has grown from a small gathering of security researchers to the global platform where the cybersecurity community convenes, bringing together practitioners, CISOs, policymakers, academics, and business leaders to
confront the world’s most pressing security challenges. That same evolution—from a “technical problem” to a board‑level and societal issue—is at the heart of Midnight in the War Room, which chronicles the escalating cyber conflict among nation states,
criminal groups, and the defenders on the front lines.
The film features leading voices in cybersecurity and national security who have long shaped conversations on Black Hat stages, including Chris Inglis, first U.S. National Cyber Director; Jen Easterly, former Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA); Joe Tidy, Cyber Correspondent at the BBC; and John Hammond, cybersecurity educator and influencer.
Additional contributors include General (Ret.) David Petraeus, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Marcus Hutchins, the security researcher who helped stop WannaCry; and Professor Mary Aiken, world-renowned cyber psychologist—alongside more than 50 global experts, defenders, journalists, and reformed hackers. Together, they reflect the same diverse and influential community that has defined Black Hat for nearly three decades.
“For almost 30 years, Black Hat has been the place where the world’s most respected security voices challenge assumptions and push the industry forward,” said Suzy Pallett, President, Black Hat. “Partnering with the producers of Midnight in the War Room for the world premiere of the film builds on that legacy— amplifying the stories of intelligence leaders, CISOs, journalists, victims, and reformed hackers whose work and lived experiences have shaped the conversations on our stages. Together, we’re shining a light on the people whose expertise, vigilance, and refusal to back down underpin our collective resilience.”
Midnight in the War Room places particular focus on the emotional and psychological toll of cyber defense, especially for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) responsible for safeguarding essential infrastructure. The film also Information Classification: General offers rare insight from former attackers—some of whom served prison sentences—providing an unfiltered look into the adversarial mindset. The result is an unvarnished portrait of cyberwar as a deeply human struggle marked by courage, burnout, moral complexity, and an unrelenting sense of responsibility.
“This project is unlike anything our industry has seen,” said Thomas LeDuc, Chief Marketing Officer at Semperis and Executive Producer of the film. “Cybersecurity is full of powerful, cinematic stories—but, for too long, they’ve gone untold. Midnight in the War Room tells the story of our industry from the inside, through the voices of the CISOs and defenders living it every day, not from the outside looking in. It shows what’s really at stake—the human toll, the pressure, and the responsibility—and gives the people on the front lines something they can point to and say, ‘This is why I do it.’ We’re honored to partner with Black Hat on the world premiere, and grateful to Suzy and her team for their dedication to the cyber community.”
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