M3AAWG 67 takes place June 8-11, 2026. Here's What to Expect.
A first look at the programming agenda is now available to M3AAWG members for the 67th M3AAWG General Meeting, taking place June 8–11, 2026, in Montreal, Canada.
Known for its delicious food, vibrant culture, world-class urban parks, and pleasant summertime weather along the St. Lawrence River, Montreal provides an ideal backdrop. The meeting at Le Centre Sheraton takes place in the heart of the city, providing opportunities to connect with this industry's most analytical minds and leave with actionable takeaways to stay ahead of threats in the abuse and cyber threat landscape.
Here is an overview of some themes to keep on your radar if you plan to join M3AAWG in Montreal.
Financial Sextortion’s Impact on Youth and Minors
The M3AAWG67 Keynote Address will be presented by intelligence analyst and investigator Paul Raffile, who will provide an alarming look into the “Yahoo Boys” and the horrific crimes perpetrated against minors through social media and messaging apps.
With dozens of youth and teen suicides linked to this network, only a small number of perpetrators have been extradited, despite tens of thousands believed to be operating these organized blackmail schemes using shared training methods and scripts from overseas. Paul’s keynote will also examine the technical changes, social interventions, and legislative updates needed to address the crisis, creating a call to action for the M3AAWG community.
(Psst.. stay tuned for an upcoming blog diving into Paul’s Montreal keynote.)
AI’s Role (And Limitations) in Fighting AI-fueled Scams and Abuse
As the “AI vs. AI Race” in cybersecurity continues to evolve, there are plenty of themes and training sessions on this topic to explore in Montreal. This includes:
- Exploring how to strengthen network defenses through cryptographic protections and automated enforcement.
- Advancing strategies to detect and disrupt increasingly sophisticated phishing and social engineering attacks.
- Identifying gaps and limitations in current detection approaches based on collaborative research.
- Examining the evolution of adaptive, self-modifying malware and its impact on security operations.
- Addressing emerging risks and governance challenges related to AI-generated and unmanaged data.
As we see more general meeting session submissions bringing AI to focus, we’re taken back to this quote:
“Using AI to fight AI has become a recurring theme in the cybersecurity space because it is unquestionably necessary, but that does not mean it comes without serious flaws and outright limitations,” said Bettina Lippisch, who recently co-championed comments submitted to NIST on behalf of M3AAWG to address agentic AI regulatory gaps.
Operation Shamrock to Lead Scam Detection & Defense Training
Fresh off a powerful keynote address led by Erin West of Operation Shamrock at M3AAWG 66, we are excited to announce that Aleks Ring of Operation Shamrock, a forensic accountant and expert on crypto scams and fraud, will lead a hands-on train-the-trainer session in Montreal on crypto-enabled financial abuse.
Aleks will share the red flags she’s observed firsthand through her own financial investigations, including recognizing scam patterns in messaging and payment requests, and the latest cues in social engineering. Stay tuned for a future blog that will explore this in detail as we sit down with Aleks to learn more!
Messaging Abuse in a Changing Digital Ecosystem
The twists and turns of modern messaging abuse continue amid the ongoing complexity posed by emerging technologies. Some of the programming themes in this space that attendees can look forward to will include:
- Exploring use cases for spam filtering techniques applied to messaging platforms.
- Mitigating the risk of AI email agents that are exposing user data.
Welcoming Tom Bartel as Chair
This will be Tom Bartel’s first General Meeting as Chair of M3AAWG’s Board of Directors. As a member since 2005, he is excited to continue to prioritize trust, technical depth, and respectful collaboration in Montreal.
“The internet has been abused by miscreants practically since day one. They didn’t anticipate our willingness and ability to collaborate. M3AAWG is where that collaboration happens. My favorite letters in our name are ‘WG.’ We are a Working Group. This is where competitors sit down, share candidly, and work through hard problems together, united in one cause,” he said.
We Look Forward to Seeing You There
This blog offers a glimpse into what’s to come in Montreal, but there is so much more on tap and in development, including hands-on learning and networking opportunities, alongside many more working sessions, panel discussions, Open Round Tables (ORTs), Lightning Talks, and more. Stay tuned to this blog and M3AAWG social media (LinkedIn and Facebook) for more updates as the countdown to M3AAWG 67 ticks on. We hope to see you soon in Montreal!