Black Hat USA proudly presents Neal Stephenson to the main stage Thursday, July 26, 2012.  Stephenson will delve into a host of writing and technology-related topics, including his brand new novel “REAMDE.” The novel explores the exploitation of a massively multiplayer online role- playing game through the release of the REAMDE virus – a virus that encrypts all of a player’s electronic files and holds them for ransom. Stephenson will host a special book signing on site after his keynote.

“Boom goes the Dynamite!” says Black Hat Content director Travis Carelock. “Neil Stephenson is one of those rare authors that never fails to ignite the imaginations of geeks and technophiles everywhere.  Most of us grew up daydreaming about his books such as ‘Snow Crash’ and ‘Cryptonomicon.’  It really is fantastic news for our 15th anniversary!”

Stephenson’s previous work includes novels such as “Cryptonomicon,” “The Diamond Age,” “Zodiac,” the three-volume “The Baroque Cycle” (“Quicksilver,” “The Confusion,” and “The System of the World”) and “Snow Crash,” which was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 all-time best English-language novels. He is known for exploring and redefining genres ranging from cyberpunk to the historical epic.

Black Hat USA 2012 celebrates 15 years as the most significant information security event brand in the world. This year Black Hat welcomes over 6500 digital security experts, public, private sector security professionals and underground hackers in Las Vegas to uncover groundbreaking new vulnerabilities and new security tools debuting for the first time. Sponsors of Black Hat USA include Platinum Sponsors: Accuvant LABS, Cisco, IBM, LogRhythm, Microsoft, Qualys, Symantec, Terremark, a Verizon Company, Trustwave.

About Black Hat
Black Hat provides briefings and training to leading corporations and government agencies around the world. Black Hat differentiates itself by working at many levels within the corporate, government, and underground communities. This unmatched informational reach enables Black Hat attendees to be continuously aware of the newest vulnerabilities, defense mechanisms, and industry trends. Black Hat Briefings and Trainings are held annually in Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, and Las Vegas. Black Hat is produced by UBM TechWeb. More information is available at http://www.blackhat.com.

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