Two premiere security conferences -- Black Hat and DefCon -- run back-to-back in Las Vegas this week, each with their own distinct flavor. But even these events don't meet the needs of all computer security pros, setting the stage for a widening set of satellite events.
Some of these alternatives are corporate sponsored and some are grassroots, but all contribute to making Las Vegas the place to be this week for anyone hoping to raise their security know-how.

Black Hat's most notorious incidents: a quiz Jack Daniel, who is community development manager for Astaro, says he's getting to town a day early specifically for a four-and-a-half hour conference run by security vendor Codenomicon, then sitting on a panel at Security B-Sides -- which directly competes with Black Hat -- then speaking at DefCon. That wealth of content in one city at one time is a big draw. "It's a reason to get to Vegas this week if you can afford it," Daniel says.

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