SANS Cyber Defense Initiative is an annual SANS Institute conference that brings cybersecurity professionals together for immersive, hands-on training, technical briefings, and certification preparation. It takes place at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C., and features multi-day courses taught by experienced practitioners alongside networking and industry-focused briefings. The event is notable for its practitioner-oriented curriculum aimed at improving defensive security skills for government and private-sector teams.