Updated on: April 24, 2025
What started as a grassroots initiative has become one of Poland’s most dynamic cybersecurity gatherings. In this interview for SafetyDetectives, Cássio Pereira, founder of BSides Kraków, shares how the conference is creating an inclusive space for hackers, researchers, and security pros to connect, learn, and shape the future of infosec — all while staying true to its community-first roots.
Please introduce us to BSides Kraków.
BSides Kraków is a community-driven information security conference held annually in Kraków, Poland. As part of the global Security BSides movement, our event provides an open platform for security professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts to share ideas, insights, and foster long-standing relationships within the cybersecurity community.
Our mission is to promote hacker culture and knowledge sharing by organizing an inclusive and accessible event. We offer a variety of sessions, including expert-led talks, hands-on workshops, and interactive villages, covering the latest trends and challenges in cybersecurity.
The upcoming BSides Kraków 2025 is scheduled for September 27th at the AGH University of Science and Technology’s Computer Science Department. We anticipate over 500 participants engaging in multiple tracks throughout the day. The conference is open to all, with free and paid ticket options to ensure broad accessibility.
BSides Kraków is organized by a dedicated team of volunteers and supported by sponsors who share our commitment to advancing cybersecurity knowledge and community engagement.
For more information, including registration details, call for papers, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit our official website.
How do you choose speakers and topics to reflect BSides Kraków’s open, community-driven approach?
At BSides Kraków, our speaker and topic selection process is entirely aligned with our community-first philosophy. We run an open Call for Papers (CfP) and encourage submissions from a broad spectrum of individuals—seasoned professionals, first-time speakers, students, researchers—anyone with something valuable or thought-provoking to share.
To ensure fairness and diversity of perspectives, we have a review committee composed of volunteers from different areas of the security ecosystem: red teamers, blue teamers, academics, and industry practitioners. Each submission is evaluated, focusing on relevance, originality, and educational value—not on the speaker’s name or résumé.
We intentionally avoid a rigid theme. Instead, we let the community define what’s relevant. This approach gives space to unconventional talks, new research, grassroots projects, or even philosophical perspectives on security.
By doing this, BSides Kraków remains an inclusive platform where emerging voices are amplified alongside established experts, creating a dynamic and authentic reflection of what truly matters to the community at that moment.
What impact do the free vs. paid ticket options have on the attendee experience?
At BSides Kraków, we offer both free and paid ticket options, but there is no difference in the attendee experience when it comes to content and access. Everyone, regardless of the ticket type, gets the same access to talks, workshops, and community activities.
The reason we offer paid tickets is to give people the option to support the event financially if they’re able to. These contributions help us cover operational costs—venue, equipment, catering, travel support for speakers—while keeping the core experience open and accessible to all.
Our priority is inclusivity. We never want someone to miss out on the opportunity to learn, connect, or contribute just because of cost. So whether someone comes with a free or paid ticket, they’re equally part of the BSides Kraków community.
Why was Wydział Informatyki, AGH chosen as the 2025 venue?
They supported us already in 2024 as host and co-organizers, so the natural way was to keep this partnership for 2025 and further if possible.
What do the Discovery, Insight, and Frontier tracks each focus on?
The idea is that each track covers a specific group of talk levels, but it’s not restricted to this. For example, the Frontier covers more Advanced topics while Discovery covers more beginners topics.
How do sponsors support the event, and what do you look for in a partner?
Sponsors are essential to making BSides Kraków possible. Their support covers the costs of the venue, equipment, speaker travel, catering, swag, and everything else that goes into running a high-quality, community-focused event. Thanks to them, we’re able to keep tickets free or affordable, while still offering a solid experience for attendees.
But we don’t just look for funding—we look for partners who share our values. We want sponsors who genuinely care about the security community, who are interested in supporting learning, networking, and inclusion—not just marketing.
The best partnerships are those that are visible, but not intrusive. We invite sponsors to be part of the event, engage with participants, run technical demos or challenges—but always in a way that adds value, not sales pressure.
Ultimately, we see sponsors as part of the ecosystem. When their presence aligns with our mission, it strengthens the event and benefits everyone involved.
