Humanizing Cyber: How Creativity and Connection Are Reframing Cybersecurity

There’s the Black Hat Conference you see—the crowded expo hall, the sea of black T-shirts, the flashing booths stacked with swag and buzzwords.

And then there’s the one you feel—the startup optimism, the late-night pitch contests, and the moments when someone finally says something real over a frozen drink in an ice bar.

In the first episode of Humanizing Cyber, nez&pez takes you behind the scenes at Black Hat, where the creative side of cybersecurity marketing comes alive. We went beyond the noise to find the real stories—the founders chasing traction, the teams rewriting playbooks, and the ideas reshaping what it means to connect in this industry.

We start in Startup City, where hungry founders pitch from modest booths with big ambition. We pass by spaces that look like a mash-up of national parks and body shops—proof that creativity isn’t just a marketing layer; it’s part of the business DNA. Somewhere between the booths and the bar, we even find ourselves judging a game show.

This isn’t about who said what on stage. It’s about what it felt like to be there—among people building, pitching, and trying to stand out in an industry where everyone is smart and everything can start to sound the same.

Humanizing Cyber is a new series from nez&pez, a creative branding agency that helps cybersecurity startups and B2B brands differentiate through storytelling and design. Each episode goes past the tech to uncover the truth, humor, and humanity driving this industry forward.

If you’ve ever walked a show floor and wondered how you’re supposed to compete—or if you’ve wanted a fresh perspective on the people behind the firewalls—this one’s for you.

Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to keep exploring the human side of cybersecurity with nez&pez.

Because the tech might be complex, but the connection is human.
And we’re just getting started.