Microsoft at Black Hat USA 2025: A unified approach to modern cyber defense

July 18, 2025 TH Author

We believe security teams are strongest when intelligence, tools, and deep expertise come together. At Microsoft, we’ve eliminated internal silos between threat intelligence, red teaming, incident response, and product engineering. That closed-loop system lets us move faster, translating threat signals into global protection every day.

This integration isn’t theoretical. It means when researchers detect a threat through our global network, that information flows directly to the red team stress-testing our defenses, the incident responders investigating real intrusions, and the engineering teams building new mitigations; all at once. It’s a system designed to learn, adapt, and protect at scale. At Black Hat, we’re opening that loop so you can see how it works and inviting you to see how it can help you defend at AI speed. Want to meet the people behind our operations? Request an invite to our Black Hat VIP mixer.

Before Black Hat kicks off, hear from Black Hat NOC lead Grifter and Lintile in our latest episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast. They explore what it takes to secure one of the world’s most high-profile cybersecurity conferences, what the Black Hat Network Operations Center (NOC) sees in real time, and how defenders can apply those lessons to their own environments. Whether you’re attending in person or following along remotely, this episode offers a rare look into threat activity and security insights from inside the NOC.

Meet us at Booth 2246: Conversations, not presentations.

Figure 1: Crowd at Booth 2246

Skip the crowded theater sessions and pull up a chair. Throughout the day, we’re hosting informal conversations at our mobile podcast studio and then shifting to expert meetups where your questions will be answered. At booth 2246, you’ll hear directly from Microsoft security experts on what they’re seeing, and how you can apply it. Topics include:

Addressing the ransomware threat landscape

Defending against BEC attacks

Shifts in social engineering and phishing

Securing non-human identities (agents)

And a few surprises

We’ll also be inviting our friends from the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, Microsoft BlueHat podcast (MSRC), GitHub, and a few special guests.

Each session is a chance to hear what our teams are seeing in the wild, how we’re responding, and how you can apply those insights in your own environment. Whether it’s a live threat briefing, a deep dive into red teaming, or a behind-the-scenes look at real incident response, these are unscripted, interactive discussions designed for defenders and researchers. 

Demos of Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Purview, and Microsoft Security Copilot will run throughout the week. Stop by to talk shop, ask questions, or just get a clearer view of why our AI-first, end-to-end platform is designed to help you move faster, respond with precision, and adapt to new threats with confidence.

Connect with the experts at our VIP Mixer

Figure 2: Microsoft Security VIP Mixer

You’re invited to connect with the people behind the defense at our VIP Mixer on Wednesday, Aug. 6. Join Microsoft Security for an evening of conversations, insights, and connections with our threat intelligence, incident response, and Security Copilot teams, alongside your peers from across the security community. 

Whether you’re exploring how to put AI agents to work, navigating advanced threats, or evolving your detection and response strategy, this is your chance to meet the experts and teams helping defenders stay ahead.

Security is a team sport, and we would like to thank Armor, Cyberproof, Forescout, Ontinue and Security Risk Advisors members of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) for sponsoring this event.

Drinks and appetizers will be provided. Request to attend today!   

Thursday, August 7 | 12:15–12:40 PM

In a threat landscape shaped by AI and threat actors, cybersecurity teams need more than tools; they need the right mindset, collaboration models, and playbooks to stay ahead. During our main stage session, we will bring together frontline experts from Microsoft Security—Sherrod DeGrippo, Director, Threat Intelligence Strategy, Aarti Borkar, Corporate Vice President, Customer Success and Incident Response, Andrew Rapp, Leader, Incident Response and Simeon Kakpovi, —to share how they approach high-impact intrusions and what defenders everywhere can take away from it.

This session will offer practical strategies grounded in real-world operations, including:

How to build tighter alignment across threat intel, IR, and detection teams

Approaches to reduce friction and accelerate signal-to-action response time

Lessons from tracking threat actors focused on social engineering and ransomware

Ways to adapt red teaming and detection in a rapidly evolving AI landscape

Whether you’re refining your team’s structure or looking for sharper ways to think about advanced threats, this conversation will deliver actionable insight you can bring back to your own environment.

Wednesday, August 6 | 11:25–11:45 AM

What happens when red teams operate not in isolation, but as a connected part of a broader defense ecosystem?

Microsoft security experts Ram Shankar Siva Kumar (founder of the AI Red Team) and Craig Nelson (Microsoft Red Team) will explore how traditional and AI red teams work side by side to proactively test Microsoft’s products, platforms, and AI systems.

You’ll hear how these teams:

Identify systemic risks across cloud and enterprise services

Probe generative AI systems for jailbreaks and indirect misuse

Collaborate with MSRC and threat researchers to close the loop from discovery to defense

Embed red teaming into engineering cycles, not just as a check, but as a design influence

Whether you’re red-teaming your own products or rethinking how to operationalize adversarial testing, this session will offer lessons in collaboration, tooling, and mindset from two of the most advanced offensive security teams in the industry.

The Microsoft booth will include a featured partner demo station where 7 partners from the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) will showcase how their solutions together with Microsoft Security technology help defend our mutual customers from cybersecurity threats.

Connect with us at the Microsoft booth to find out more.

Figure 3: MISA Demo Station

Cybersecurity is a team sport and defending against threats takes a cohesive approach that brings multiple disciplines and experts across specialties together. We’re committed to eliminating internal silos to focus on threat hunting that supports a comprehensive defense.

You’ll hear more of this approach and how it can benefit your organization at Black Hat US.

Check out Microsoft Security executives at the AI Summit at Black Hat (separate pass required)

Visit us in Booth #2246 for a live demo and learn how our AI-powered cybersecurity can protect your organization.

Hope to see you at Black Hat!