ISTA Conference

What do Diablo II bots and modern QA security automation have in common? More than you might expect. 👀 We’re excited to welcome Nikolay Stanoev, QA Architect at Merkle, to the ISTA Fest Edition 2026 stage with his session: ⚔️ Levelling Up: From Diablo II Scripts to Automated Security Audits Drawing inspiration from the scripts gamers once used to automate the endless grind for legendary loot, Nikolay will show how the same automation mindset can be applied to today’s predictable environments, applications, and repetitive QA tasks. Expect a session about turning manual security scans into automated workflows, reducing human error, and levelling up efficiency — with a nostalgic Diablo II twist. 🎮 With 17+ years in IT, Nikolay has built test automation for global brands including Adidas, Disney, and Shiseido, and has spoken at conferences such as Automation Guild, ISTA, TestCon Europe, and QA Challenge Accepted. Ready to level up your QA game? 📅 15 October 2026 📍 Sofia Event Center 🎟️ Join us at ISTA Fest Edition 2026. Get your ticket: https://lnkd.in/dN4cdqrd

🤖 Ready to hack an AI agent? AI agents can execute code, call external tools, access sensitive data, and interact with real infrastructure. That power also creates an entirely new attack surface. At “Hack the Agent: Hands-on AI Agent Security”, Valentin Hristev & Iliyan Petkov from DojoBits.io will take you beyond theory and into a dedicated lab environment where you’ll exploit a vulnerable AI agent, understand why the attack works, and then secure it. You’ll get hands-on with real-world techniques around tool misuse, least agency, runtime guardrails, scoped identities, and sandboxing, based on guidance from the OWASP GenAI Security Project. 💻 Bring your laptop. Your isolated lab environment will be provided. 📅 15 October 2026 📍 Sofia Event Center 🎟️ Ready to hack the agent? Secure your ISTA Fest Edition 2026 ticket: https://lnkd.in/dN4cdqrd #ISTAConf #ISTA2026 #ISTAFestEdition #AISecurity #AIAgents #Cybersecurity #OWASP #Workshop

We’re excited to welcome Ognyan Chikov from LimeChain - Blockchain & Web3 Solutions to the ISTA Fest Edition 2026 stage with his session: 💡 From Vibe Coding to Verified Coding: Shipping Production Web3 with AI In Web3, “almost right” code isn’t good enough. Ognyan will share how LimeChain makes AI-assisted development more predictable through structured workflows, quality gates, and verification — built for the realities of blockchain development. 📅 15 October 2026 📍 Sofia Event Center 🎟️ Get your ticket: https://lnkd.in/dN4cdqrd #ISTAConf #ISTA2026 #ISTAFestEdition #Web3 #AI #VibeCoding #Blockchain #LimeChain

We're excited to welcome Ayça Baş, Senior Developer Advocate at Microsoft, to the ISTA 2026 stage. As a passionate advocate for developers and modern technologies, Ayça helps engineering teams build, learn, and innovate with the latest tools and AI-powered solutions. Her work bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and practical developer experience, making complex topics accessible and actionable. Expect a session packed with fresh insights, real-world examples, and ideas you can take back to your team. 📅 15 October 2026 🎟 Tickets are available now. 👉 Get yours today: https://lnkd.in/dN4cdqrd #ISTAConf #ISTA2026 #SpeakerAnnouncement #Microsoft #DeveloperAdvocate #AI #TechConference

What happens when AI makes teams faster and more efficient — but quietly makes them less connected? We’re excited to welcome Dimi Ilieva to the ISTA Fest Edition 2026 stage! With over 20 years of international business and leadership experience — including serving as Chief Marketing Officer and Board Member at myPOS — Dimi now works with leaders, teams, and organizations on leadership, decision-making, team dynamics, and organizational effectiveness. In her session, she’ll revisit Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team through the lens of today’s AI-driven workplace. 🤖 From the “hallucination” of trust and artificial harmony to blurred accountability and the output trap, the session will explore how over-automation can create an illusion of alignment while weakening genuine collaboration. Because AI can generate answers — but high-performing teams still require human courage, trust, accountability, and judgment. 📅 15 October 2026 📍 Sofia Event Center 🎟️ Join Dimi and the ISTA community at ISTA Fest Edition 2026. Get your ticket: https://lnkd.in/dN4cdqrd #ISTAConf #ISTA2026 #ISTAFestEdition #SpeakerAnnouncement #AI #Leadership #TeamDynamics #FutureOfWork #TechLeadership

We’re excited to welcome Nikolay Avramov to the ISTA 2026 stage. 🙌 With experience across manual and automation testing, Agile methodologies, QA processes, mobile apps, and data warehousing, Nikolay brings a practical and people-focused perspective on quality engineering. Throughout his career, he has built automation frameworks from scratch, helped teams scale their testing practices, and focused on creating environments where engineers can grow, collaborate, and succeed together. His mindset is simple: 👉 Great testing is not only about tools and frameworks — it’s about building strong, balanced teams that continuously improve. 📅 ISTA 2026 - 15 October 2026 🎟 Tickets are available now. 👉 Get your ticket: https://lnkd.in/dN4cdqrd #ISTAConf #ISTA2026 #SpeakerAnnouncement #QA #TestAutomation #TechConference