Lisa de Wilde
Lisa de Wilde has supported dozens of organisations in navigating and resolving security incidents and full‑blown crises. She has witnessed up close how difficult it can be for organisations to regain control and return to normal operations. Working side by side with technical experts, she has seen their struggle with guilt, pressure, and the uncomfortable shortcuts that sometimes become unavoidable when the clock is ticking.
As the founder of Cyber Radiant, Lisa now helps organisations prepare for the realities of incidents and crises before they strike. Her work focuses on strengthening resilience, improving decision‑making under pressure and ensuring that teams understand not only the technical aspects of a crisis but also the organisational dynamics that shape its outcome. Aligning business and IT remains one of the biggest challenges she encounters.
Session
In the high pressure environment of a cyber crisis, technical expertise is indispensable. Yet what is technically the best way forward is not always the best choice for the organisation. Crisis managers must balance continuity, reputation, legal exposure, security, costs and other factors. A balance that often needs to be found based on incomplete information. Some choices are grounded in hard facts, while others rely on assumptions, intuition, or strategic risk taking. As a result, the most secure option is not always the one selected during crisis recovery.
This talk explores the top 5 weaknesses of technical experts that crisis managers exploit. These weaknesses do not stem from incompetence; they arise precisely from the strengths that make technical professionals so valuable under normal conditions. However, when the rules of everyday operations no longer apply, these strengths can impact the individual.
Participants will gain insight into decision making during cyber crises, why misalignment between technical and managerial perspectives emerges under pressure, and how experts can better prepare themselves to operate effectively in environments where speed, trade offs, and imperfect information dominate. The session ultimately aims to strengthen collaboration between technical teams and crisis managers, ensuring that expertise is not only heard but also strategically integrated when it matters most.