Self-funded, not for profit
Ticket and sponsor money covers the event. Whatever is left goes to cyber education and community initiatives in SoCal.
Fri · Nov 13, 2026 · San Diego, CA
San Diego CyberCon 2026
One day on the San Diego waterfront with Southern California's security community. Two tracks, a hands-on agent-building workshop, CXO panels and up to 9 CPE credits.
By the community, for the community.
- November 13, 2026
- 8 AM to 6 PM
- Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Attendee
San Diego CyberCon
Doors open in
00Days
00Hours
00Min
00Sec
- 2
- Tracks, Executive and Deep Tech
- 9
- CPE credits you can earn
- 13
- Nonprofit chapters and counting
- 90min
- Hands-on agent workshop
01About
By the community, for the community.
San Diego CyberCon brings San Diego and Southern California's cybersecurity community and its nonprofit organizations together for one world-class event. Our mission is to put on an educational cybersecurity event for the San Diego and SoCal community.
Nobody profits from this. The conference raises enough to pay for itself, and any surplus goes to cyber education and other cyber community initiatives in the SoCal region.
We're asking companies, vendors and practitioners across the industry to take part. Giving back and teaching is a large part of what our chapters do. Help us make this work for San Diego and for the rest of Southern California.
Meet the chaptersKids and seniors
Security best practices still haven't reached children and seniors. Our chapters are working on that, starting with an illustrated booklet for families.
Room for new members
The conference puts local cyber nonprofits in front of practitioners, job seekers and students who haven't found their chapter yet.
Tickets
You told us events cost too much. We lowered our prices.
We want everyone in our community to be able to see these speakers. There's no discount code to hunt for, and there are several ticket options to fit your budget.
Get tickets on Zeffy
Registration is a tax-deductible donation to a 501(c) (3) and is non-refundable.
02Speakers
Meet the speakers
Five speakers so far and two CXO panels. We'll add more speaker content here as it's confirmed.
03Program
What's on the program
The Deep Tech Track goes hands-on with AI agents and AI-assisted coding. The Executive Track has the CXO panels and a new Shark Tank.
Deep Tech TrackWorkshop · 90 min
Build Your Own Security Agent
with Faan Rossouw · 10:00 AM
Most security practitioners are being handed AI features built around someone else's workflow. This workshop takes the opposite approach. You learn to build the harness that lets an agentic layer adapt to yours.
Working in a model-agnostic repository, you take a realistic intrusion from raw network and endpoint telemetry to a grounded, evidence-cited report.
You leave with
- A working repository
- A reusable skill template
- A method for adding an agentic layer to your own defensive workflows
No machine-learning or agent-framework experience required.
Deep Tech TrackTalk · 1:30 PM
Using Spec Driven Development to Build Secure Software with AI Tools
Jim Manico
AI coding assistants speed up delivery. They also introduce insecure patterns, mishandle secrets and produce code that looks correct while quietly violating security requirements. Jim sets up secure Claude Code and Codex environments from scratch, then runs them side by side.
- Specify
- Plan
- Tasks
- Implement
What you'll be able to do
- Configure a safer Claude Code environment using permission controls, CLAUDE.md security rules, hooks and sandboxing.
- Use secure coding prompts and project-level rules to guide AI tools toward secure-by-default output aligned with OWASP guidance.
- Apply spec-driven AI development techniques so security requirements are defined before code is generated.
- Use Claude Code and Codex together for code generation, independent review, vulnerability detection and test creation.
- Identify common insecure patterns produced by AI coding assistants, including weak authorization, injection flaws, insecure secret handling, unsafe dependencies and insufficient validation.
- Build repeatable AI-assisted workflows that developers, security engineers and technical leads can bring back to their own teams.
Deep Tech TrackTalk · 4:00 PM
Why and How AI Will Forever Change Cybersecurity
Shannon Lietz
Shannon founded DevSecOps and led product and software security at Adobe. She has the last Deep Tech slot of the day.
Executive Track
Two CXO panels
Both panels pick up where the CXO and Speaker Dinner leaves off the night before. We announce the topics on the day.
Executive TrackNew
Shark Tank
New this year. Vendors pitch, attendees vote and a panel of CXOs judges the final at 2:40 PM. See how it works.
9CPE
Earn up to 9 CPE credits
ISC2 records credits for attendees who check in at their table.
In the tank so far
More vendors to come
05Agenda
The day, hour by hour
Friday, November 13, 2026. All times Pacific. The agenda is subject to change.
-
Breakfast
Vendor Room
-
General session
Main Ballroom · everyone together
- Break
-
ExecutiveMarc Sachs
Topic to be announced
Deep Tech · WorkshopBuild Your Own Security Agent
Faan Rossouw
- Break
-
Executive
CXO Panel 1
Topic announced on the day
Deep Tech · WorkshopBuild Your Own Security Agent, continued
Faan Rossouw
- Break
-
Lunch
90 minutes to eat and meet people
-
ExecutiveAlissa (Dr. Jay) Abdullah
Topic to be announced
Deep TechUsing Spec Driven Development to Build Secure Software with AI Tools
Jim Manico
- Break
-
Executive · New
Shark Tank
Open to vendors
Deep TechSpec Driven Development, continued
Jim Manico
- Break
-
Executive
CXO Panel 2
Topic announced on the day
Deep TechWhy and How AI Will Forever Change Cybersecurity
Shannon Lietz
- Break
-
Closing remarks
Main Ballroom · everyone together
-
Reception
Wind down with the people you met today
06Venue
On the marina, downtown
We're at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. Breakfast opens in the Vendor Room at 8 AM, and the reception starts at 5:30 PM.
- When
- Friday, November 13, 2026
8 AM to 6 PM Pacific - Where
- Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
333 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101 - The night before
- CXO and Speaker Dinner, Thursday, November 12. Practicing CXOs who'd like to attend can email jackie@sdcybercon.org.
07Give back
Bring a toy. Write a page.
Two ways to do some good while you're here. Neither one needs a security clearance.
The Marines are coming
Two active Marines will be at the conference to accept toys for Toys for Tots. Bring a new, unwrapped toy worth $10 to $50, or a gift card. Every donation gets you into our raffle.
- New and unwrapped
- $10 to $50, or a gift card
- Raffle entry
Most needed: gifts for ages 0 to 2 and for teens 13 to 17. Those two groups get the fewest donations.
Help us secure our community
We're making "CyberSecuring our Families", a fun, illustrated booklet that teaches kids and seniors the basics of staying safe online. We want your pages in it. Security pros and creative talents both have a place.
- Cybersecurity tips
- Short articles
- Illustrations
- Comics
08Sponsors
Thank you, sponsors
Sponsors help the conference pay for itself. Anything left over goes to cyber education in SoCal.
Platinum sponsor
Herd Security is an agentic AI creative platform built for continuous security training and simulation. Founded in 2025, Herd helps organizations move beyond once-a-year compliance checkboxes, replacing static programs with dynamic curricula that evolve alongside emerging threats without adding operational overhead.
Learn more about Herd Security
Security and GRC teams use the platform as a creative partner to translate practitioner expertise into compelling content and deploy it across the channels employees frequently use, including Slack, Teams and LMS. When a new threat surfaces, the platform enables organizations to shift from IT tickets or vendor requests to iterative microlessons delivered the same day.
This puts the people behind security back at the center, empowering practitioner expertise, making awareness more habitual, and using every interaction to fuel a feedback loop that strengthens the human layer of defense.
09Community
The chapters behind it
San Diego CyberCon is a collaboration between local cybersecurity nonprofits. More chapters are still signing on.
Chapter events this month
October 2026 · times Pacific
Oct 4 to Oct 10
- 05Mon ISACA SD x SecurityStudio Academy: Recruiter Talk12:30 to 1:30 PM · Online
- 06Tue SD ISSA Lunch Networking Event11:30 AM to 1 PM · In person
- 08Thu ISC2 SD Monthly Meeting6 to 8 PM · Hybrid
- 09Fri Irvine Underground Monthly Meetup7 to 10 PM · In person
Oct 11 to Oct 17
Oct 18 to Oct 24
Oct 25 to Oct 31
10Questions
Good to know
Can't find your answer here? Email us.
When and where is it?
Friday, November 13, 2026, from 8 AM to 6 PM at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. Breakfast opens in the Vendor Room at 8:00, the general session starts at 9:00 and the reception starts at 5:30 PM.
How do I earn CPE credits?
You can earn up to 9. ISC2 records credits for attendees who check in at their table, so stop by when you arrive.
What do tickets cost?
We lowered prices this year, and there are several options to fit your budget. You don't need a discount code. Current prices are on our Zeffy registration page.
Can I get a refund?
No. San Diego CyberCon is a 501(c) (3) organization, so registration counts as a tax-deductible donation and is non-refundable.
I'm a practicing CXO. Can I come to the dinner?
The CXO and Speaker Dinner is on Thursday, November 12, the night before the conference. If you're a practicing CXO and would like to attend, email jackie@sdcybercon.org.
How can my company sponsor?
We still have openings for breakfast, break beverages, speakers and more, plus a new Shark Tank. Email sponsorship@sdcybercon.org and we'll send the details.
Is there a code of conduct?
Yes. SD CyberCon is a harassment-free conference for everyone, and it applies to attendees, speakers and exhibitors alike. Read the full code of conduct.
See you on November 13
Registration is live. Grab your ticket and tell your chapter.