BlackGirlsHack is taking a different approach to SquadCon this year.
Instead of staging its annual in-person cybersecurity conference during Hacker Summer Camp in Las Vegas, BlackGirlsHack is launching SquadCon 2026: Squad Support Edition, a combination of virtual programming, career assistance, financial support, and community networking scheduled for August 4–6.
The change reflects an important reality about the cybersecurity workforce: Talent may be widely distributed, but access to opportunity is not.
Conference admission is only one potential obstacle. Travel, lodging, certification fees, study materials, unemployment, and even ordinary household expenses can prevent otherwise qualified people from taking the next step in their careers.
This year, BlackGirlsHack intends to direct its resources toward those barriers.
“This year, SquadCon isn’t taking the stage; we’re putting the resources directly in your hands,” said Rebekah Skeete, CEO of BlackGirlsHack. “In order to unlock access, we’re handing out the keys.”
A Different Kind of SquadCon
BlackGirlsHack is a community-driven organization dedicated to increasing representation and access in cybersecurity.
Although the organization focuses on increasing representation in the industry, the virtual portion of Squad Support Edition will be open to anyone, anywhere.
SquadCon has traditionally been part of the cluster of cybersecurity conferences and events held in Las Vegas each summer. Rather than trying to replicate that experience in 2026, the organization is dividing Squad Support Edition into four components.
The first is the Squad Support Scholarship program, which will provide financial assistance to BlackGirlsHack members experiencing unemployment or underemployment.
The assistance is intentionally flexible. Depending on the recipient’s circumstances, support could cover lodging for a Hacker Summer Camp event, a certification exam, study materials, books, bills, or another immediate need standing between that person and a professional opportunity.
That flexibility may be one of the initiative’s most consequential features.
Workforce development programs frequently concentrate on training while overlooking the conditions that determine whether someone can complete that training, sit for an exam, travel to an event, or remain engaged long enough to benefit.
BlackGirlsHack is attempting to address the whole gap rather than only its most visible part.
Virtual Training and Direct Access to Employers
The second component is a free virtual event on August 4 and 5. Open to participants regardless of location, it will include a Capture the Flag competition, hands-on technical workshops, and a workforce development job fair.
The combination is designed to give attendees more than passive instruction.
Participants will have opportunities to develop practical skills, demonstrate what they can do, and connect directly with prospective employers. Removing the travel requirement also extends access to people who cannot afford to spend a week in Las Vegas or step away from work and family obligations.
Squad Support Edition will also include a recruiting and career-positioning session led by a new BlackGirlsHack advisor with experience inside the technology recruitment process.
The session will examine how recruiters and hiring managers evaluate candidates, how engineers can position themselves effectively, and how applicants can make their outreach more likely to receive attention.
Technical ability is still essential in cybersecurity, but candidates must also communicate that ability to employers. For newcomers without established professional networks, understanding the hiring process can be nearly as important as acquiring another technical skill.
Maintaining an In-Person Community
SquadCon will not disappear entirely from Las Vegas.
On August 6, BlackGirlsHack will host an onsite pool party at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The event will provide community members and allies with a dedicated place to meet, network, and decompress during one of the cybersecurity industry’s busiest weeks.
That social component serves a practical purpose.
Professional relationships frequently influence who hears about an opening, receives an introduction, finds a mentor, or gets encouraged to pursue an opportunity. People who have historically been underrepresented in cybersecurity may have less access to those informal networks.
Establishing a welcoming place for those relationships to form is therefore more than a recreational addition to the program.
The Goal: 100 People Certified
BlackGirlsHack has set a goal of helping 100 community members earn certifications through the virtual programming.
The organization is seeking $10,000 in sponsorship support to pay for exam vouchers, study materials, and program expenses. It is also building a larger Squad Support Scholarship Fund to meet the individual needs of members experiencing financial or employment difficulties.
Cybersecurity employers frequently speak about the difficulty of finding qualified candidates. At the same time, aspiring professionals can be excluded by expenses that may appear relatively modest from an organizational perspective but are considerable to someone unemployed or underemployed.
An exam voucher, hotel room, training resource, or timely financial contribution may be the final piece needed to turn preparation into a credential—or a credential into a job.
That is the premise behind Squad Support Edition: The industry may not need more discussion about whether talent exists. It may need a more deliberate effort to remove the obstacles preventing that talent from being seen.
Organizations and individuals interested in supporting the initiative can contribute to the BlackGirlsHack Foundation online. Sponsorship inquiries can be sent to sponsorus@blackgirlshack.org, and additional information is available through the BlackGirlsHack events page.
Additional Resource
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Steven Bowcut is the Editor-in-Chief of Brilliance Security Magazine and host of the BSM Podcast. He has spent years covering cybersecurity and physical security, focusing on the technologies, strategies, and leadership insights that matter most to security practitioners and decision-makers. Through the magazine and podcast, Steven brings readers and listeners practical content with industry leaders, innovators, and experts shaping the future of security. Follow and connect with Steve on Instagram and LinkedIn.