Secrets of Submitting
to Black Hat:
A Guide to Writing a Successful Submission

Agenda● Why and what to submit to Black Hat● Makeup of a submission with examples

Who we are?

Lidia Giuliano@pink_tangent

Marina Krotofil@marmusha

Stefano Zanero@raistoloWhy submit?
● Genuine desire to share your knowledge/ findings● You have something important to share withthe security community and make this world abetter place● You want to showcase your competences toget your next / dream job

What to submit● Ideally something which has never been presented● Innovative: research-based / lessons learned● Proven results● Focus on:○ Discovering a new technique, new ways to attack or defend○ Novel methodologies, frameworks or approaches that havebeen tested/implemented in realistic environments○ Fresh/unusual angle of looking at thingsMakeup of a submission● Title● Abstract● Presentation Outline● New/never been presented?
● What new research, concept, technique, or approach
●
●●
●
●
●

is included?
Takeaways
What problem does your research solve?
Releasing a tool?
New vulnerability?
Will your presentation include a demo?
Notes to the review board to the review board

Title● This is what people pay most attention towhen deciding whether to attend the talk
● The title must be attractive, but be careful!
Be sure to *properly manage expectations*● If you say "Hacking satellites (...)", people
will expect that to actually happen...

TitleExampleTitlesTitlePast Accepted Talks - Titles● The Pool Party You Will Never Forget: New Process Injection
Techniques Using Windows Thread Pools● A Pain in the NAS: Exploiting Cloud Connectivity to PWN Your NAS● Grand Theft House: RF Lock Pick Tool to Unlock Smart Door Lock
● Houston, We Have a Problem: Analyzing the Security of Low EarthOrbit Satellites

Abstracts● Published on the conference website (if session is selected)● Book Blurb but of your talk● Should make people think, “Yeah, Wow!, I also have
faced this, or I relate to this, I want to watch this”● Would you attend this talk based on what you wrote?
● Have the “end user” (the audience) in mind whenwriting your abstract

Abstracts - the breakdown
Three Parts:● Problem statement / Hook
● What your talk is about○ What you will discuss○ Create intrigue○ Include selling points* Approx 2-4 paragraphs / 300 words *● What will they learn?
○ Takeaways

Abstracts - the breakdown

Examples - Past
Accepted
Abstracts

Hook

Selling
pointsLessonsHook

Selling
pointsLessons

Presentation Outline• Deep dive into your topic of research• Helps reviewers to understand your talk in detail• Supports your submission with specifics, demos,

screenshots, white/academic papers, slides draft, etc.

• This should be the most detailed part of yoursubmission“Not published and for the RB only”

Presentation Outline

ExamplePresentationOutlinesNew research, concepts and techniques• Explain your research• If it has been done before/built on previous work,
explain what is different• Go into detail and be specific• Provide evidence such as a white paper (even if
unpublished), CVE’s, references to your work, etc.
• If you publicize your work before BH's date, yourproposal “could” be of a lower priority (T&C apply)• Don’t use generative AI tools to derive yourresearch

New research, concepts

Examples New Research, Concepts andTechniques

New research, concepts

New research, concepts

Takeaways• What are you leaving the audience with?

Takeaways

ExampleTakeaways

Other Sections• What problem does your research solve?
• Releasing a tool?
• New vulnerability?
• Will your presentation include a demo?

Submission Don’ts
DON’T• Plagiarism/chatGPT/generative AI tooling• If your submission took you 1 minute to write, it
probably looks like a 1-minute submission• A bio that is longer than your submission• Marketing material• Don’t sell stuff• Presentation outline shorter than abstract• Cut and paste of one form answer into another• Proposals submitted by marketing/PR people on yourbehalfSubmission Do’sDO• Follow the submission (CFP) guidelines• Be your authentic-self• Get it peer reviewed for feedback

Selection Process• Selection process

1. Scoring by the Review Board Members.
2. Discussing/debating on Selection Calls.
3. Final Selections.

Black Hat resources
https://www.blackhat.com/call-for-papers.html• CFP submission links for each region• Other useful information

Thank you

For further information or any questions, please email us:
cfp@blackhat.com