We have vouched for tech conferences and meetups before in many of our articles. They provide the greatest opportunity for networking and getting to know your local market while being entertained and inspired by the greatest minds in the field. BSides Budapest 2022 was one of our favorites of the year so far, for various reasons. Read the full article to find out why exactly!

The first grass roots, DIY, open security conference in the world

Visitors could listen to 12 presentations and take part in 4 comprehensive, 2-hour-long workshop sessions throughout the day. Besides Hungarian IT professionals, presenters arrived from Israel, Estonia, France, Poland, Austria, England, and Germany as well, making the atmosphere truly international and open. In total, over 300 participants spent the day at Lurdy Conference Center, on the 26th of May.

The conference featured names like Tobias Schrödel, Ilia Shkolyar, Szilárd Pfeiffer and András Tevesz. The topics of the presentation ranged from online security through ethical hacking to bug bounty and cryptanalysis. Workshops were available upon prior registration. Hacking for beginners was one of the most popular ones, offering an introduction to various types of hacks and practices, and also possible defense mechanisms.

The event was held in a hybrid setting. After the pandemic offered us some perspective on how some people favor remote conferences above regular ones, the organizers decided to stream all the talks to make the venue accessible from home as well. It’s interesting to see that despite the lifted restrictions, people adjusted to a new normal and decided to keep its practices even though there’s no force behind it anymore. It indicates a forward-thinking approach towards innovation and a welcoming environment for development.

Unique organization, innovative setting

One of the reasons the conference stood out for us is because of its welcoming nature. Tech professionals, IT leaders and thinkers are common attendees of such events, but BSides also invited university students to its crowds. We find it incredibly forward-thinking that more and more organizers recognize the importance of enthusiastic future generations, and provide them with outstanding opportunities to further their skills and learn from accomplished experts within their interest fields.

We also loved how the empty spots in the presentation schedule were left for individuals wanting to apply and speak up on their chosen topics. The market is full of surprises, and we think it should be our collective mission to never let talent be unrecognized. We admire the tech scene for its outstanding openness and the pure fact that unlike in many other fields of profession, members of the community are not solely focused on the nature of one’s education. Tech roles require experience and knowledge, creativity and curiosity, and above all, genuine interest. We are delighted to see that practice revolves around this ideology as well.

We are overjoyed to be able to attend conferences again. The pandemic strengthened the wish of belongingness in all communities, and we are excited for people of tech to unite again. We hope to see crowds at future events as well!