Black Hat Ignites Under Vegas Lights

by Angela Apolinar, Cyber Defense Magazine
Angela Apolinar is a reporter for Cyber Defense Magazine and a Women in Cybersecurity scholarship recipient. In this article, she recaps her experiences at Black Hat 2025.

Kate Kuehn Inspires

Black Hat ended on the brightest note with Kate Kuehn, Vice President of Global Advocacy at WWT. With nearly three decades of experience, Kate has worn many hats including CISO, CEO, Board Director and more. She has been at the forefront of pivotal industry shifts, from some of the earliest DDoS and SaaS projects to the first major cyberattacks on the financial sector. At Black Hat, her influence was unmistakable. She moderated the closing panel on AI's impact on digital risk alongside Jen Easterly, Anand Raghavan, and Bartley Richardson. In a defining moment of recognition, she was honored with the Cybersecurity Women Lifetime Achievement Award from the United Cybersecurity Alliance. Congratulations again Kate! What a celebration to not just her past contribution but to the path she continues to shape.

When I sat down with her, Kate brought a rare light to the conversation around AI, centered with optimism and grounded in experience. She reminded me that AI is not new but has been evolving for over 70 years. What truly matters, she emphasized, is how responsibly we apply it. She deftly debunked the "rise of the machine" narrative, offering a perspective that was both refreshing and reassuring to hear. In her words, AI is subservient to people, not the other way around. Humans will continue to be indispensable during this new era of generative AI, because our creativity and critical thinking remain irreplaceable.

When asked about advocacy, Kate defined it as helping leaders cut through the noise, balancing opportunity with risk, and moving beyond the myth of a magic pill solution. A story she shared stuck with me. During an early data center hack in London, her mentor reminded her that the real danger often comes not from what attackers take, but what they leave behind. For Kate, it was a lesson that still holds true today. Too many failures stem from underestimating the human factor. By investing even a little more focus on the human element, we don't just safeguard infrastructure, we strengthen the most imperative piece that holds our digital world together.

Meeting Kate was a vivid reminder of what truly anchors this sector. Her grace and authenticity were a perfect close to Black Hat. If the heart of cybersecurity lies in people, then moments like this prove it.