Nebraska
Lincoln, NE cybersecurity events & groups
Lincoln's own security calendar centers on two annual events: the Nebraska Cyber Security Conference, run each fall by Southeast Community College, and Cyber Tatanka, a free two-week defensive cyber range exercise held each June at UNL's Kiewit Hall. Most recurring chapter meetings take place in Omaha, about an hour northeast, where the ISC2 Omaha-Lincoln Chapter, NEbraskaCERT, InfraGard Nebraska and DC402 meet; ISC2 and NEbraskaCERT both offer online options.
Start here
- ISC2 Omaha-Lincoln Chapter: The one professional chapter that names Lincoln, with meetings you can join in person in Omaha or online.
- NEbraskaCERT Cyber Security Forum: Free monthly Cyber Security Forum open to all Nebraska and Iowa security professionals, with some sessions held online.
- Cyber Tatanka 2027: Free, hands-on defensive cyber exercise held in Lincoln each June.
Six months at a glance
Datebook
October 2026
Nebraska Public Sector Cybersecurity & AI Summit 2026
Thu, Oct 22, 2026 · Starts 8:00 a.m.
DoubleTree by Hilton Omaha Downtown, 1616 Dodge St., Omaha · Regional
Run by Government Technology (e.Republic) with sponsor exhibitors. Registration is free but open to public-sector employees only. Speakers include the State of Nebraska CISO and the CISA Region 7 Cybersecurity Advisor; the agenda includes a public-sector capture-the-flag.
ConfirmedSummitFreeVetting requiredVendor-hosted
November 2026
INTERFACE Omaha 2026
Thu, Nov 5, 2026 · 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St., Omaha · Regional
One-day IT infrastructure and security conference run by F2F Events and paid for by exhibitors, marketed to a pre-qualified IT audience. ISACA Omaha lists it on its chapter calendar.
ConfirmedConferenceVetting requiredVendor-hosted
NEbraskaCERT, ISACA Omaha and ISC2 Omaha-Lincoln Joint Lunch
Wed, Nov 18, 2026 · 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Johnny's Cafe, 4702 S. 27th St., Omaha · Regional
Annual joint membership lunch of three Omaha-area security groups, with a panel. NEbraskaCERT's schedule is marked as a draft and subject to change.
ConfirmedChapter meetingFree
December 2026
January 2027
February 2027
March 2027
Kernelcon 2027
Thu, Mar 4 to Fri, Mar 5, 2027 · Pre-conference training March 2 and 3, 2027
Hilton Omaha, Omaha · Regional
Call for training closes: Sat, Nov 14, 2026
Call for papers closes: Sat, Dec 19, 2026
Student scholarship applications close: Thu, Jan 7, 2027
Hotel block reservation cutoff: Sun, Feb 14, 2027
Community hacker conference with talks, villages and competitions; the 2027 theme is Algo(Rhythm). Registration and the call for papers open Oct. 1, 2026 with early-bird pricing. Pre-conference training costs extra. The organizer site loads its content by script.
ConfirmedConferencePaid
June 2027
Cyber Tatanka 2027
Mon, Jun 7 to Fri, Jun 18, 2027
Kiewit Hall, College of Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus, Lincoln
Free, non-competitive defensive cyber range exercise for critical infrastructure: a week of classroom training, then a week of team-based live-range scenarios. Participants come from industry, the military, government, schools and international partners; check the site for how to take part.
ConfirmedTrainingFree
August 2027
FutureCon Omaha Cybersecurity Conference 2027
Thu, Aug 12, 2027
Embassy Suites by Hilton Omaha La Vista Hotel & Conference Center, La Vista · Regional
One-day vendor conference run by FutureCon Events, with up to 10 CPE credits. FutureCon conferences are aimed at employed IT professionals. The 2026 edition was Aug. 12, 2026 at the same venue.
ConfirmedConferenceVetting requiredVendor-hosted
On the radar
Announced without a date, or expected from past editions. Not confirmed.
Nebraska Cyber Security Conference
Held each fall by Southeast Community College; the 2025 edition was Sept. 29, 2025. The 2026 date has not been announced.
Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center, 2021 Transformation Drive, Lincoln (2025 venue)
ExpectedConferencePaid
Groups & associations
Professional associations
ISC2 Omaha-Lincoln Chapter
Omaha (in person) and online · Regional
About every other month on a Monday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in person and online; 2026 meetings were Jan. 26, Mar. 30, May 18 and Sept. 21, with a November meeting held jointly with NEbraskaCERT
Serves Lincoln and Omaha. In-person registration runs through the chapter's Eventbrite page; recent in-person meetings were at UNO's Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center in Omaha. The chapter says its online option is open to ISC2 members in good standing. The July 20, 2026 meeting was cancelled.
Free
NEbraskaCERT Cyber Security Forum
Omaha (Johnny's Cafe, 4702 S. 27th St.), Bellevue University, or online · Regional
Third Wednesday of the month; lunch meetings 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Johnny's Cafe in Omaha alternate with 7:30 a.m. online breakfast sessions and occasional evening events; no December meeting in 2026
Nonprofit forum for Nebraska and Iowa information security professionals; RSVP through the Google Form linked on the forum page. Its draft 2026 schedule lists an Oct. 21 evening lightning-talk session at Bellevue University and no December meeting.
Free
Hacker and grassroots groups
DC402 (Omaha DEF CON Group)
DJ's Dugout Sports Bar, Miracle Hills, 777 N. 114th St., Omaha · Regional
Second Tuesday of the month, 6:00 p.m.
The nearest DEF CON group to Lincoln, about an hour away in Omaha. Talks and social meetings; the group's calendar lists each month's venue and topic, and a few months in 2025 and 2026 had no meeting.
Free
Public-private and government
InfraGard Nebraska Members Alliance
Statewide chapter; recent meetings at UNO in Omaha · Regional
Monthly chapter meetings, usually on a Thursday; Oct. 15, Nov. 19 (social) and Dec. 17, 2026 are scheduled with time and location to be announced
FBI and private-sector partnership. The chapter says most events are open to vetted members only; membership requires an application through the national InfraGard portal. The Sept. 17, 2026 meeting was at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center, UNO, Omaha.
Vetting required
Training
Cyber Strong Nebraska
Lincoln · In the city
Runs Cyber Tatanka each June at UNL's Kiewit Hall; no regular public meetings
Lincoln-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that hosts Cyber Tatanka with the Nebraska National Guard and state partners. Its site says participation is always free and that the 2026 edition (the fifth) drew more than 200 participants; last_activity is the 2026 edition's start date listed on its site.
Free
Directory checklist
3 of 19 national directories list a local chapter
Field notes
- Lincoln has no security chapter of its own that meets in the city; the Omaha groups listed here are about an hour's drive away, and ISC2 Omaha-Lincoln and NEbraskaCERT offer online options.
- The ISC2 Omaha-Lincoln schedule lists its November 2026 meeting with NEbraskaCERT as "Wed, Nov 16", but Nov. 16, 2026 is a Monday; NEbraskaCERT and ISACA Omaha list the joint lunch on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026.
- InfraGard Nebraska meetings are for vetted members, and its October to December 2026 meetings do not yet have times or locations.
- The Nebraska Cyber Security Conference page still shows the 2025 program; no 2026 date had been posted as of Sept. 27, 2026.
Sources
Numbered references for the listings on this page.
- S1https://dc402.org/schedule/
- S2https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=402defcon%40gmail.com&ctz=America/Chicago
- S3https://events.govtech.com/Nebraska-Public-Sector-Cybersecurity-Summit
- S4https://f2fevents.com/event/neb26/
- S5https://www.nebraskacert.org/cfp/
- S6https://engage.isaca.org/omahachapter/home
- S7https://kernelcon.org/
- S8https://www.cybertatanka.org/
- S9https://futureconevents.com/events/omaha-ne-2027/
- S10https://www.southeast.edu/business-and-community/business/computers-technology/nebraska-cyber-security-conference.php
- S11https://isc2omaha.org/
- S12https://www.eventbrite.com/o/isc2-omaha-lincoln-chapter-board-92859053913
- S13https://www.nebraskacert.org/CSF/
- S14https://infragardnebraska.org/events
- S15https://www.infragardnational.org/about-us/infragard-chapters/
- S16https://csneb.org/