Juliane Reimann
Juliane Reimann is a Founder & Security Community Expert @ FullCyrcle Security. She works as cyber security consultant for large companies since 2019 with focus on DevSecOps and Community Building. Her expertise includes building security communities of software developers and establishing developer centric communication about secure software development topics. Before going into the field of Cyber Security she founded different companies in the area of web development. Due to her background in web development she has extensive knowledge of the software development life cycle. Since 2024 she is a core member of the OWASP Security Champions Guide Community.
Session
Security people live in a world of "it depends", probabilities, and never-ending risk. At the same time we as humans crave clear answers. So when someone asks, „Is it secure now?” and the honest answer is „No”, it creates psychological friction.
In this talk, we will explore the Need for Cognitive Closure, a psychological concept that explains why uncertainty is so uncomfortable and why teams often push for premature certainty in security decisions. We will take a close look at how this plays out in real life by rushing to close findings, over-trusting tools, or treating compliance checklists as proof of safety.
Drawing from practical examples, I will share ways to design security work with human psychology in mind: from better risk communication and structured decision frameworks to Security Champions programs that turn ongoing uncertainty into shared ownership. We will stop chasing the illusion of finishability and start building teams that stay effective even when security can’t give final answers.