Under attack: Managing stress, trauma, psychosocial risk and team support during a cyber incident

Beyond the impact to critical systems, cyber incidents place intense psychological pressure on the people responding. During active incidents, cyber teams and decision-makers operate under sustained stress: long hours, uncertainty, scrutiny, high-stakes decisions and, increasingly, direct intimidation by threat actors. As highlighted in recent guidance, these are recognised psychosocial risks which, if unmanaged, can lead to significant harm to individuals and expose organisations to regulatory and operational consequences.

This session explores what actually happens to people during a cyber incident and what leaders should expect to see in their teams under pressure.We explore the anatomy of a breach from a human psychological perspective. It will examine what acute stress looks like during active response, how unmanaged pressure can lead to longer-term trauma-related impacts and what psychosocial workplace regulations now require of organisations supporting teams through high-stress cyber events. 

Participants will work through the practical implications for leaders, incident managers and organisations, including preparation, communication, check-ins, resourcing and post-incident support. 

Drawing on real-world observations and emerging industry best practice, the session will demonstrate how structured support during and after incidents helps ensure that the recovery of systems is matched by the recovery of the people responsible for them.