Ground Truth, what you told us, and what’s next 🐝
Hi there,
Thanks for subscribing to BSides Manchester. This is our first newsletter, so here's a quick look at October and what's coming next.
On Thursday 1 October, we had 70 people join us at the GM Digital Security Hub for Ground Truth: How Things Really Get Built, Broken, and Fixed.
Kay Daskalakis moderated a practitioner panel with Rio Sherri (NetSPI), Andy Shaw (Loxam), Graham Cook (Sedex) and John Watson (Swamp Club). It brought red team, QA, platform and engineering views into one conversation. Equixly then ran a live CTF alongside pizza and networking, and plenty of people tried their first-ever CTF.
Thank you to DiSH for the venue, PortSwigger for refreshments and swag, Axiom Breach for AV, Equixly for the CTF, and our volunteers, who made the night run.
You told us what you want next
Thank you to everyone who filled in our feedback form. Three things came through clearly:
A full-day BSides Manchester. We're working on it.
More real-world stories: defence, threat hunting and detection, and agentic AI security.
Better mics for speakers. This is noted.
Coming in 2027
Next year we're going full day: a community-led conference with tracks for Security, Engineering and Product, plus workshops, a CTF and a first-time speakers track. That track is a supported stage, with mentoring, for people who've never given a talk.
Tickets will be £10, and free for students. We'll announce the date and venue here first, as soon as both are confirmed.
Get involved
BSides Manchester is run by volunteers, and 2027 will be shaped by the people who turn up. If you'd like to:
Speak: first-timers especially. Have a look at our Speak page, or reply with a rough idea.
Volunteer: on the day or in the run-up, as much or as little as suits you.
Help us find sponsors: if your company might want to meet the North West's security and engineering community, an introduction makes a huge difference. Our sponsor page has the details.
Just reply to this email. It comes straight to the organising team.
Around Manchester
BSides is one part of a strong local scene. Here's what's coming up elsewhere:
WiTCH (Women in Tech and Cyber Hub): No More Horror Stories, the WiTCH Summit 2026. Thursday 29 October, BT, Salford. A full day on getting into tech and cyber, staying there, and changing it for the women coming next. Details and tickets
The Community Cyber Wargame, Manchester: Exercise Kirbymere. Tuesday 3 November, 6pm to 8pm. Book on Eventbrite
InfoSec Manchester: The Ghosts of Cyber Past, Present & Future. Thursday 26 November, 5pm to 9pm. Book on Eventbrite
Organising something we should share? Reply and let us know.
One useful thing: thinking about your first talk?
The best first talks usually start with one problem you've solved, not a topic you've read about. Ask yourself, "what's one thing I could explain to a colleague over coffee?" That's your talk. Start with the story, keep to one clear takeaway, and don't worry about being an expert. You only need to be one step ahead of someone in the room.
That's it for October. Thanks for being part of this.
See you soon, The BSides Manchester team 🐝
