While SuriCon has always been a cornerstone event for the Suricata community, 2023 marked a unique and pivotal chapter in OISF’s history. Instead of gathering in person, the ninth annual SuriCon shifted to a fully virtual format, allowing us to focus on critical initiatives for OISF and the Suricata project.

This decision was not made lightly but underscored our commitment to the long-term sustainability and growth of Suricata. Through this virtual edition, we:

• Explored the Suricata Development Roadmap: Attendees participated in robust discussions on new features, requests, and process improvements, charting a course for 2024 and beyond.
• Strengthened OISF Team Dynamics: Dedicated sessions fostered collaboration and strategic planning among team members, ensuring alignment on our vision and priorities.
• Crafted a Strategic Plan for OISF: A key outcome of this year’s event was a refined strategy to guide OISF in supporting Suricata’s community and ecosystem.

Live from Stockholm, the OISF team led two engaging 2-hour open forum sessions, with a global audience of Suricata community members. Key highlights included:

• State of Suricata and OISF Updates: Victor and Kelley provided valuable insights into the current state of the Suricata project and shared exciting updates about the foundation’s future direction.
• Suricata’s Development Roadmap Brainstorm: The development team facilitated a collaborative discussion on Suricata’s development roadmap. Despite the virtual format, the team was energized by the high level of participation and thoughtful contributions from community members.
• Interactive Engagement via Discord: The SuriCon2023 Discord channel served as a vibrant hub for dynamic discussions, networking, and real-time engagement throughout the event.

A special thank you to OPNsense for their generous sponsorship, which played a vital role in making SuriCon2023 possible. Their support exemplifies the collaborative spirit that defines our community.

While we missed the energy of an in-person gathering, SuriCon2023 reaffirmed the strength of the Suricata community. Together, we laid the groundwork for an exciting future, ensuring that Suricata remains a world-class, open-source solution for years to come.

To all our attendees and sponsors: thank you for making this virtual edition a success! We look forward to reuniting in person soon, stronger and more united than ever.

Thanks again to our incredible sponsor!