What really happens when cyber defenders hit their breaking point? Drawing on more than 100 hours of interviews with CISOs, former hackers, national security leaders, journalists, and cyber psychologists, former US National Cyber Director Chris Inglis and Semperis CEO Mickey Bresman take the Black Hat USA 2026 Main Stage to share hard truths about the state of cyber conflict. Moderated by Bilyana Lilly (Associate Director, Accenture; Global Chair of the Black Hat Cyber War Forum), this candid conversation explores the assumptions that are no longer holding true, the pressures pushing defenders toward a breaking point, and what governments, organizations, and security leaders must do differently to prepare for the next era of cyber conflict. Speakers: Chris Inglis — Former US National Cyber Director Mickey Bresman — CEO, Semperis Bilyana Lilly — Associate Director, Accenture; Global Chair of the Black Hat Cyber War Forum What's covered: Insights from 100+ hours of interviews with CISOs, hackers, and national security leaders The defensive assumptions that no longer hold true The human cost: burnout and the pressures pushing defenders to the edge What governments and organizations must change to prepare for the next era of cyber conflict Recorded Wednesday, August 5 at Black Hat USA 2026 — Main Stage, Business Hall LEVEL UP YOUR SECURITY SKILLS WITH LUFSEC ️ The next era of cyber conflict demands hands-on skills, not just theory: Introduction to Prompt Hacking for LLMs — 5 hands-on labs, ~2 hours: https://www.lufsec.com/products/courses/prompt-hacking-for-llms-intro Explore all LufSec hands-on courses — AI/LLM Security, Car Hacking, IoT Hacking: https://www.lufsec.com Subscribe for more cybersecurity deep dives, tutorials, and conference coverage — and hit the bell so you never miss a new video. What's the hardest truth about defending at scale that nobody talks about? Share it in the comments. 0:00 The Reality of Modern Cyber Warfare 1:50 The Vision Behind the Documentary 3:31 Hard Truths from the Frontlines 6:43 Breaking the Silence on Defender Burnout 10:56 When Cyber Threats Become Societal Problems 22:39 Making the Hard Truths Mainstream #BlackHat #BlackHatUSA2026 #Cybersecurity #ChrisInglis #Semperis #CyberWar #CISO #NationalSecurity #CyberConflict #InfoSec #LufSec #SecurityLeadership