Black Hat will require (and provide) masks for in-person attendees

Black Hat will require masks for all in-person attendees, in compliance with new local mask mandates imposed in response to the surge of the highly transmissible Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus in Las Vegas and other parts of Nevada. 

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak issued a new mask mandate Tuesday that requires everyone in areas with the highest transmission rates, including Clark County where Las Vegas is located, to wear masks at indoor public places, regardless of their vaccination status — echoing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance issued hours earlier. 

Black Hat organizers announced the mask change in an email to in-person registrants Thursday morning, adding that the conference would provide masks on site: 

"For everyone traveling to the event, we want to assure you that we have been monitoring the situation in Las Vegas closely and have been working with venue host, Mandalay Bay, as well as local officials to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all Black Hat attendees. In conjunction with the newest mandate in Clark County, we will be requiring all attendees to wear a mask while attending the event. To ensure that everyone can easily follow these guidelines, we will have face masks available to anyone who needs one."

The announcement came just a week before Black Hat’s briefings, a major industry deal-making event, are set to begin. DEF CON, which occurs directly after Black Hat, was already set to require attendees to wear masks — and provide proof of vaccination.