Indonesian cybersecurity researcher Bayu Fedra Abdullah, 25, has been invited to present at both Black Hat Middle East & Africa (MEA) and BlackHat Europe conferences. He showcased two tools developed through his research to cybersecurity professionals worldwide.
Abdullah, a student at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), told reporters that he received a personal invitation from the conference organizers.
“The invitations were personal, from Black Hat (BH) MEA and BlackHat Europe – separate events. I believe Black Hat is the most elite conference in the cybersecurity field, held in four locations each year: the US in Las Vegas, Europe in London, MEA in Riyadh, and Asia in Singapore,” he explained.
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Abdullah was accepted to present at both Black Hat Europe and Black Hat MEA on different topics. At the European conference, he presented his work on a project called ‘MBPTL,’ while at BlackHat MEA, he introduced ‘IPTI.’
He explained that anyone can submit their research or projects to Black Hat for consideration. The process is open and international, with no regional restrictions.
“Black Hat selects which submissions will be presented at their events. It’s not an endorsement or sponsorship from the university. After being accepted to both events, I informed the university, which then offered to help with sponsorship funding,” he said.
The university readily provided sponsorship, although Abdullah still covered a significant portion of the travel expenses to attend the conferences and represent Indonesia on the international stage.
During the Black Hat events, Abdullah had the opportunity to meet numerous prominent figures in the technology industry. Black Hat also attracts major technology companies like Google, AWS, Cloudflare, and various leading cybersecurity firms, highlighting the event’s importance in the global tech landscape.
“I met a lot of great people in the cybersecurity field. I also connected with Indonesians working abroad. Everyone was really impressive,” he added.
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