Call for Papers
Enter The Grid: BSides Charlotte 2026
“I fight for the Users.”
Welcome to The Grid. In the Tron universe, programs and users navigate a digital landscape where security, identity, and control determine survival. At BSides Charlotte 2026, we’re bridging the gap between the cybersecurity challenges of our physical world and the visionary digital realm. Hence, Tron.
Just as Kevin Flynn was pulled into a world where code comes alive, today’s security professionals must navigate increasingly complex digital environments where threats evolve, legacy systems persist, and the line between user and program continues to blur. Join us as we explore modern cybersecurity through the lens of The Grid, examining how yesterday’s science fiction has become today’s security reality.
For the BSides Charlotte 2026 Cybersecurity Conference, we invite you to submit proposals that creatively incorporate elements from the Tron universe to address contemporary cybersecurity challenges. Your presentation should leverage these themes to make complex security concepts more engaging, memorable, and accessible to our audience.
The following concepts are designed to inspire your submissions. Please note that presentations will be selected based on overall technical merit, applicability, content quality, and alignment with the conference agenda. You are not limited to these specific topics – feel free to explore other connections between The Grid and modern cybersecurity:
🔷 Identity Disc Management: Digital Identity & Access Control
- In The Grid, Identity Discs contain a program’s entire history and code. How do modern identity and access management systems protect our “digital discs”?
- Consider: Zero-trust architectures, privileged access management, identity lifecycle, biometric authentication, or the challenges of managing identity across hybrid environments.
🔷 When Programs Go Rogue: Detecting Malicious Code
- Clu was once trusted but became corrupted, seizing control of The Grid. How do we detect when trusted code, programs, or insiders turn malicious?
- Consider: Supply chain attacks, insider threats, code signing, behavioral analysis, or AI/ML systems that exceed their intended parameters.
🔷 The Master Control Program: Centralized vs. Decentralized Security
- The MCP represented total centralized control. Is centralization always the enemy, or can it be part of the solution?
- Consider: SIEM systems, centralized logging, distributed security models, blockchain, or the balance between control and freedom in security architecture.
🔷 Legacy Systems in The Grid: Old Code, New Threats
- The original Grid operated on 1980s architecture. How do we secure legacy systems that can’t easily be upgraded or replaced?
- Consider: Mainframe security, industrial control systems, embedded devices, or strategies for protecting aging infrastructure.
🔷 ISOs and Anomalies: Threat Hunting and the Unexpected
- ISOs were spontaneously emerging entities that defied expectations. How do we hunt for the truly novel threats hiding in our networks?
- Consider: Advanced threat hunting, anomaly detection, AI-powered security, or discovering zero-day exploits.
🔷 Light Cycle Combat: Red Team vs. Blue Team Strategies
- The Games in The Grid tested programs through combat. How do red team/blue team exercises strengthen our defenses?
- Consider: Penetration testing methodologies, purple team collaboration, adversary emulation, or lessons learned from security competitions.
🔷 Portal Security: Securing the Gateway Between Worlds
- The Portal connected the physical and digital realms. How do we secure the boundaries between our networks and the outside world?
- Consider: API security, network segmentation, DMZ design, cloud connectivity, or securing IoT ecosystems.
🔷 Derezzing Threats: Incident Response and Containment
- In The Grid, derezzing meant complete deletion. How do we effectively contain, eradicate, and recover from security incidents?
- Consider: Incident response frameworks, malware analysis, digital forensics, or disaster recovery planning.
🔷 Recognizers and Sentries: Monitoring and Detection Systems
- Security programs patrolled The Grid constantly. How effective are our monitoring and detection capabilities?
- Consider: SIEM optimization, EDR/XDR solutions, network traffic analysis, or the challenges of alert fatigue.
🔷 Building a Better Grid: Secure Architecture and Design
- Kevin Flynn envisioned a perfect digital frontier. How do we build security into systems from the ground up?
- Consider: Secure-by-design principles, DevSecOps, infrastructure as code, or cloud-native security architectures.
Additional Inspiration:
Feel free to incorporate Tron‘s distinctive visual style, terminology, and concepts into your presentation design. Whether it’s referencing “end of line” for conclusions, using light-cycle trails to illustrate attack paths, or comparing security layers to The Grid’s levels, creative integration of the theme can make technical content more memorable and engaging for attendees.
Above all, we look forward to your presentations helping make BSides Charlotte 2026 an unforgettable journey into The Grid – where cybersecurity professionals become the Users fighting for a more secure digital frontier!
End of line.
Key Tron Quotes
Quote, Speaker, Film, Why it works for a cybersecurity talk
“I fight for the Users!”, Tron (the program), Tron: Legacy (2010), Highlights the defender’s mission – protecting the people who rely on the system.
“End of line.”, Master Control Program (MCP) – also used by many programs, Tron (1982) & Tron: Legacy, A crisp, tech‑savvy sign‑off that can punctuate a slide or close a segment.
“There is no escape.”, MCP (over the intercom), Tron (1982), Conveys the stakes of a compromised network; great for framing threat‑model sections.
“The Grid.”, Various (narration), Tron (1982) & Tron: Legacy, A simple label for the digital arena you’re inviting the audience to enter.
“I’m a program. I’m a security program.”, Tron (explaining his role), Tron (1982), Directly ties the hero to the concept of security‑by‑design.
“You’re a lot like me.”, Kevin Flynn (to Tron), Tron (1982), Useful when drawing parallels between humans and the code they write.
“So long, suckers!”, Flynn (when leaving the Grid), Tron (1982), A playful farewell that can be repurposed as a closing tagline.
“I’m the only one who can stop this.”, Kevin Flynn (to the MCP), Tron (1982), Emphasizes the responsibility of the presenter (or security team) to intervene.
“The system is broken.”, Kevin Flynn (observing the corrupted Grid), Tron (1982), Sets up a problem‑statement slide about vulnerable infrastructures.