Emerging Frontiers: Insights from the Black Hat Asia Review Board

Mobile security submissions have increased due to higher bounty payouts and phones becoming primary computing devices

Cryptography submissions have decreased due to the high complexity and deep mathematical knowledge required to make groundbreaking research

AI/ML should move from being a primary track to a secondary track option since it is primarily used as a tool rather than being the core focus

Application security and cloud security tracks saw significant increases in both submission numbers and quality

DFIR (Digital Forensics & Incident Response) submissions decreased unexpectedly, though the track remains important

Talks need to balance innovation with practical applicability to be accepted

Talk quality and impact in Asia region continues to improve each year, with more local practitioners submitting research

Browser and mobile platform exploitation remains a major focus area due to widespread impact

Hardware/embedded security talks are becoming more prominent but require significant expertise

Regional differences exist between Asia and US conferences in terms of research focus areas and practitioner participation