Helen Oakley is an international keynote speaker, cybersecurity and AI security leader, and open-source creator whose career spans global enterprises, startups, government, and the security community. She has built and led large-scale security programs while helping organizations navigate some of the most consequential changes in technology and AI.

Helen is a core leader in the OWASP GenAI Security Project and the creator and project co-lead of OWASP FinBot CTF, an open-source platform for exploring the security of agentic AI. Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 20 Women in Cybersecurity, she is also an active community builder working to advance the industry and the people within it.

On the international stage, Helen challenges audiences to think differently about AI, risk, and the choices we make today in building a secure and resilient future with increasingly autonomous technology.

SESSION DESCRIPTION
When AI Takes Action: Who’s in Control?
AI is moving from answering our questions to acting on our behalf. As AI agents take on business tasks, the stakes rise: a misunderstanding, a malicious instruction, or too much access can turn a useful capability into an operational risk. This keynote examines how organizations can anticipate those risks and maintain control over the actions AI agents take. It connects risk assessment with practical decisions about access, oversight, and accountability: what to assess, where human approval matters, and how to detect and contain unintended actions. The focus is on approaches organizations can apply as they evaluate, adopt, or expand their use of AI agents.