Code of Conduct

BSides Rocket City is committed to providing a welcoming, respectful, and safe environment for everyone — attendees, speakers, volunteers, staff, sponsors, and guests alike, regardless of who you are, where you're from, or how long you've been in this field. This community works because people feel safe showing up, asking questions, and sharing what they know. Help us keep it that way.

The short version

• Treat everyone with respect.
• Harassment of any kind is not allowed.
• If something feels wrong, tell any staff member, organizer, volunteer, or security.
• If someone is in immediate danger, escalate right away.

Respect and safety

Harassment isn't allowed at BSides Rocket City — in any form. That includes physical, verbal, and sexual harassment; intimidation; stalking or following; unwanted photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or villages; unwelcome physical contact; and unwelcome sexual attention. It also includes offensive conduct related to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, age, religion, or experience level.

This applies to every part of the event — talks, workshops, villages, hallways, and any space connected to the conference. It applies to everyone, including speakers, sponsors, volunteers, and organizers. If someone asks you to stop, stop.

Anyone who violates this Code of Conduct may be asked to leave the event, and may be excluded from future BSides Rocket City events.

Reporting an issue

If you experience or witness something that feels wrong — harassment, unsafe behavior, or anything that makes you or someone else uncomfortable — please tell us. You can talk to any staff member, organizer, volunteer, or on-site security, whoever you're most comfortable approaching. You don't need to be the target of the behavior to report it, and you don't need to be certain it "counts." If it felt wrong, we want to know.

If there is an urgent safety concern or someone is in immediate danger, escalate it immediately — go straight to the nearest organizer, staff member, or security.

What happens when you report

• We'll listen, and we'll take your report seriously.
• The report will be documented so we can act on it appropriately.
• Organizers will handle the situation, which may include a warning, involving venue security, or removing someone from the event.
• We'll follow up with you where we can.

Thanks for helping us keep BSides Rocket City a place where everyone — from K-12 students to career hackers — can learn, share, and belong.