About Empire Hacking
Since we started the meetup in May 2015, we’ve been thrilled by the community that it has attracted. We’ve had some excellent presentations, shared our aspirations and annoyances with our work, and made some new friends.
Empire Hacking has been successful because it is:
- Technical. We bridge the gap between weekend projects and funded research. There are no product pitches here. Come prepared with your best ideas.
- Exclusive. Talks are by invitation-only and are under Chatham House Rule. We will discuss ongoing research and internal projects you won’t hear about anywhere else.
- Engaging. Talk about subjects you find interesting, face to face, with a community of experts from across the industry.
Attend a Meetup
Please apply on our Meetup page. Feel free to reach out if you have any trouble.
Speak at a Meetup
Want to speak at a meetup? Send us a short abstract. We’re particularly interested in software security, cryptography, and new tools, as well as emerging security issues in law, policy, and journalism.
- Each meetup has two 30-minute speaking slots: 6:30 and 7:15pm
- Speakers are offered a private dry-run with the engineers at Trail of Bits
- Speakers receive a video recording of their talk (if you’d like it to be recorded)
- Speakers receive a framed print of the Empire Hacking logo as a thank you
Host a Meetup
Hosts can pitch their company at the start of the meetup, are listed on our sponsors page, and receive a framed print of our logo as a thank you. Contact us if you’re interested in hosting a meetup.
Ideal hosts have:
- Availability from 5:30 to 8:30pm on the day of the meetup
- Ability to comfortably fit at least 100 attendees in a quiet space
- Access to a projector and screen
- Ability to serve drinks and food
- Close to the subway in Manhattan or Brooklyn
- Sound system (mics and speakers) not required, but appreciated
Join us on Slack
We created a Slack organization for our members. That’s where we discuss meetups, the latest security news, and our open-source projects. Everyone is welcome. Join through our auto-inviter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Empire Hacking a membership-based group?
To cultivate a tight-knit community. This should be a place where members feel free to discuss private or exclusive research and data, knowing that it will remain within the group. Furthermore, we believe that a membership process increases motivation to make a high-quality contribution.
To protect against abuse. Everyone is expected to treat his or her fellow members with respect and decency. Violators lose membership and all access to the group, including membership lists, meeting locations, and our discussion board.
What is the Chatham House Rule?
You can repeat what you hear at the meetup but you can’t attribute who you got the information from. Of course, you can always ask the person to go on the record but, by default, all conversations are off the record and for background only. Read more about the Chatham House Rule.
Why does Empire Hacking use the Chatham House Rule?
We welcome everyone to apply to Empire Hacking, even journalists. But we don’t want participants to worry that their personal thoughts will be relayed to outsiders, or used against them or their employers. We enforce the Chatham House Rule to preserve the balance between candor and discretion.