Black Hat, the cybersecurity industry’s most established and in-depth security event series, is

partnering with Semperis, the identity-driven cyber resilience and crisis management

company, to deliver the world premiere of the groundbreaking cyberwar documentary

Midnight in the War Room to be shown during Black Hat USA, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on 5 August 2026.

Told from inside the cybersecurity community, not from the outside looking in, the film produced by Semperis Studios and filmed across North America and Europe, features leading voices in cybersecurity and national security who have long shaped conversations on Black Hat stages.  This includes Chris Inglis, first U.S. National Cyber Director, Jen Easterly, former Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Joe Tidy, Cyber Correspondent at the BBC, and John Hammond, cybersecurity educator and influencer.

Additional contributors include: General (Ret.) David Petraeus, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Marcus Hutchins, the security researcher who helped stop WannaCry; and Professor Mary Aiken, world-renowned cyber psychologist – alongside more than 50 global experts, defenders, journalists, and reformed hackers.  Together, they reflect the same diverse and influential community that has defined Black Hat for nearly three decades.

“This project is unlike anything our industry has seen,” says Thomas LeDuc, Chief Marketing Officer, Semperis and Executive Producer of the film.  “Cybersecurity is full of powerful, cinematic stories – but, for too long, they’ve gone untold.  Midnight in the War Room tells the story of our industry from the inside, through the voices of the CISOs and defenders living it every day, not from the outside looking in.  It shows what’s really at stake – the human toll, the pressure, and the responsibility – and gives the people on the front lines something they can point to and say, ‘This is why I do it.’   We’re honoured to partner with Black Hat on the world premiere, and grateful to Suzy and her team for their dedication to the cyber community.”

“For almost 30 years, Black Hat has been the place where the world’s most respected security voices challenge assumptions and push the industry forward,” adds Suzy Pallett, President, Black Hat.  “Partnering with the producers of Midnight in the War Room for the world premiere of the film builds on that legacy – amplifying the stories of intelligence leaders, CISOs, journalists, victims, and reformed hackers whose work and lived experiences have shaped the conversations on our stages.  Together, we’re shining a light on the people whose expertise, vigilance, and refusal to back down underpin our collective resilience.”

Midnight in the War Room places particular focus on the emotional and psychological toll of cyber defence, especially for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) responsible for safeguarding essential infrastructure.  The film also offers rare insight from former attackers – some of whom served prison sentences – providing an unfiltered look into the adversarial mindset.  The result is an unvarnished portrait of cyberwar as a deeply human struggle marked by courage, burnout, moral complexity, and an unrelenting sense of responsibility.

The trailer for Midnight in the War Room can be found here.