The Hunt is On: What’s New in Boss of the SOC at .conf26

.conf & .conf Go Tom Smit

BOTS is back again! What started more than a decade ago to give defenders a realistic, hands-on security challenge has grown into one of the most recognized cybersecurity competitions in the industry. This year, we're excited to introduce BOTS11, the largest expansion of the BOTS universe we've ever created.

What’s the Scenario?

Meet the Stillwater Collective: a fictional parent organization to Frothly, a familiar face from previous BOTS competitions, plus newcomers Low Tide Roasters, Second Run Distillery, and Barrel & Signal. These businesses are under attack by Sable Vector — a threat actor whose wrath knows no bounds.

Modern security teams rarely support a single application, a single business unit, or even a single company. They protect environments that span multiple brands, cloud services, business functions, and technologies. BOTS11 will replicate that real world complexity. It’s up to you to diagnose the problem and deploy solutions before it’s too late.

Are you up for the challenge?

Test Your Skills in the Splunk Gaming Lounge

BOTS11 won’t be the only opportunity to test your investigative skills. We're also excited to introduce BOTS: The Hunt, a new experience debuting in the Splunk Gaming Lounge.

BOTS: The Hunt delivers a fast-paced investigative challenge designed specifically for the Pavilion. Review evidence, examine artifacts, answer questions, and see how you stack up against fellow investigators. This experience is approachable, accessible, and easy to do between sessions, meetings, and events.

Join Us at .conf26

Over the past year, we've been building a larger world, creating new storylines, developing new investigations, and finding ways to make the experience more engaging while remaining true to the principles that have guided BOTS from the beginning.

We're incredibly excited for participants to explore the Stillwater Collective, investigate the activities of Sable Vector, and experience everything BOTS11 has to offer. More than anything, though, we're excited to see the community come together once again. Whether you're competing, learning, reconnecting with friends, or trying BOTS: The Hunt for the first time, we hope you'll join us in Denver for another year of Boss of the SOC.

We'll see you at .conf26!

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