If you’re getting into macOS or iOS security, you’ll hear about OBTS eventually. Here’s what it actually is.
The short version#
Objective by the Sea (#OBTS) is the world’s only conference dedicated entirely to Apple platform security — macOS, iOS, and related systems. It runs once a year, in a different location each time, and brings together the researchers, engineers, and analysts who actually work on this stuff.
v8 was in Ibiza, Spain. v9 is in Hawaii.
Who runs it#
It’s run by the Objective-See Foundation, a non-profit founded by Patrick Wardle — ex-NSA, ex-Synack, and the person behind most of the free macOS security tools you’ll find if you look: LuLu, KnockKnock, BlockBlock, and others. He also wrote The Art of Mac Malware, which is the closest thing to a textbook for this field.
The foundation is genuinely non-profit. 100% of merchandise sales go to local charities, matched by the foundation. Tickets for students and local attendees are free.
What happens there#
Three days of training, three days of talks, a CTF, and social events.
The talks are technical and current — not vendor pitches, not “here’s our product.” At v8 in Ibiza the lineup included researchers from Google Project Zero, Jamf, iVerify, and independent researchers presenting things like:
- XNU kernel exploitation
- DPRK threat actor infrastructure on macOS
- iOS sandbox internals
- TCC bypass via Spotlight
- macOS C2 detection through statistical analysis
- Apple’s Private Cloud Compute authentication protocol
All talks are live-streamed free on the Objective-See YouTube channel.
Objective for the We (OFTW)#
OBTS has a companion event called Objective for the We (#OFTW) — a smaller, free, invite-only event specifically for students and early-career people. Less intimidating entry point, same community.
OFTW v3 was in London in July 2025. That’s where I started. If you’re a student interested in Apple security, it’s worth applying.
Why it matters#
Most security conferences are broad. OBTS is narrow — Apple platforms only, deep technical content, researchers who do this as their actual job.
If Apple security is where you want to go, this is the community.