Hernan Popper
Founder & Principal Consultant • POPP3R Cybersecurity
Canada •
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About
Because most cybersecurity speakers explain the threat. I change the behavior. I am one of the few practitioners in Canada who works exclusively at the intersection of behavioral science, applied neuroscience, and security awareness, and I have done it at scale, across 100+ organizations, in the real operational environments your audience works in every day. Not theory. Field work. My sessions are built for non-technical audiences. I do not talk about firewalls. I talk about people: why they click, why they trust, why well-intentioned employees become the entry point for attacks that cost organizations millions. And I give audiences a framework they can act on before they leave the room. I bring international credibility to Canadian stages. I have spoken at Cybertech Tel Aviv, InCyber Forum Montreal, and the National Cybersecurity Alliance Convene Conference in the United States, where I was the only non-US presenter among more than 30 international professionals. I hold certifications from EC-Council, SANS, and GIAC, and I completed executive education in cybersecurity strategy at Harvard. I am bilingual in English and Spanish, I present in person and virtually, and I adapt every session to the specific culture, industry, and risk profile of the audience in the room. If your attendees leave knowing more but doing nothing differently, the talk failed. That is the standard I hold myself to, and why organizations bring me back.
Speaking Topics
Signature Programs (7)
68 percent of cybersecurity breaches originate with a person. This session makes the case that closing the human security gap is not an IT project but a leadership and culture initiative. Built on real-world implementations with organizations ranging from Crown corporations and public media to transportation authorities and school divisions, it delivers a three-layer behavioral framework covering awareness, behavior change, and culture, with a practical 30-day action plan attendees can begin immediately.
Key Takeaways
- Why technical defenses alone are insufficient and what the human gap looks like in practice
- The three attack vectors most likely to target your organization right now
- A behavioral science framework for building lasting security culture
- A 30-day action plan that any leader can implement without a dedicated IT team
Audience
Executive directors, operations leaders, HR professionals, board members, IT managers, any organization managing people and sensitive data
Format
Duration
45 to 90 minutes
Delivery
A practical session designed for founders and early-stage entrepreneurs who need to understand cybersecurity without a technical background. Covers the most common threats facing startups including phishing, business email compromise, and social engineering, and presents a lean, culture-first security framework that any team can begin implementing immediately regardless of budget or team size.
Key Takeaways
- Why startups are disproportionately targeted and what makes them vulnerable
- The three most common attack vectors hitting early-stage companies
- A culture-first security model that does not require a dedicated IT team
- Practical steps to build security habits from the ground up
Audience
Startup founders, entrepreneurs, small business owners, accelerator and incubator participants
Format
Duration
60 minutes
Delivery
Recreation professionals work in high-trust environments built on community relationships, volunteer networks, and open organizational cultures. These are precisely the conditions that make social engineering, phishing, and business email compromise attacks so effective. This workshop, delivered at the Connect 2026 Annual Provincial Recreation Conference hosted by Recreation Manitoba, was designed specifically for recreation centre directors, parks and facilities professionals, and provincial recreation leaders across Manitoba. The session framed cybersecurity not as a technology problem but as a people and leadership challenge. Drawing on real-world cases and interactive simulation, it walked participants through the three attack vectors most likely to affect recreation organizations, the behavioral and cultural patterns that create vulnerability, and a practical framework for building security awareness without a dedicated IT team or a large budget. The session was selected through a formal speaker application process and delivered under a signed speaker agreement with Recreation Manitoba.
Key Takeaways
- Why recreation and community organizations are prime targets for phishing and social engineering
- The connection between high-trust community cultures and cybersecurity vulnerability
- A three-layer behavioral framework (awareness, behavior, culture) adapted for recreation professionals
- A 30-day action plan executable without dedicated IT resources or technical expertise One notable detail from the email thread worth keeping for your own records: Bolu at Recreation Manitoba confirmed the speaker fee would be exchanged for a tradeshow booth valued at $586, giving you both the speaking slot and a booth presence at the provincial conference. That is a strong outcome worth noting for your own records as commercial value of the engagement.
Audience
Recreation centre directors and managers, parks and facilities professionals, provincial recreation association leaders, nonprofit administrators, community organization staff
Format
Duration
60 minutes
Delivery
Your Experience with Hernan
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