In her 2026 Security Days keynote “Play More Today. Secure Tomorrow,” Nancy Beers brought a refreshing and unconventional perspective to the conference stage in Utrecht this April.
It was a keynote few participants will forget. The session kept the audience on their feet actively moving, engaging, and laughing, while also prompting deeper reflection on the importance and impact of play, both for individuals and entire organisations. After joining in the games during the keynote, I was keen to learn more and, most importantly, to share the key lessons and takeaways from the exhilarating experience of attending Nancy’s talk.
Play provides a safe place to practice, to fail, and to learn without severe consequences.
For Nancy, hacking has always been a form of play, an exploratory, creative act rooted in curiosity. Across industries as varied as aerospace and healthcare, play has long been used as a catalyst for innovation. It creates a safe space to experiment, to fail without consequence, and to reflect deeply on what those failures reveal. In cybersecurity, where the landscape is constantly shifting, that kind of resilience is invaluable. This perspective stands in stark contrast to the compliance-driven cultures still dominant in many organisations. Rules and frameworks may define boundaries, but they rarely inspire ownership.
Security should feel personal. It should become second nature.
Nancy argues that what’s often missing is a genuine sense of accountability, an emotional connection to the data and systems people are tasked with protecting. What happens, she asks, when the data at risk isn’t abstract, but personal? When it belongs to a CEO, a colleague, or a customer whose trust is on the line?
What truly sets her apart is how she brings these ideas to life. Her sessions are not lectures; they are experiences. Drawing on insights from neuroscience, she highlights that only a small fraction of creative ideas emerge while sitting at a desk. The rest come when the body is engaged: walking, moving, interacting and in the shower.
We are not heads on sticks, we need to experience things.
Cybersecurity, she insists, is a team sport. It cannot exist in silos or be confined to a single department. It requires conversation, collaboration, and shared understanding across an entire organisation. And sometimes, the best way to achieve that is with something as simple as a box of LEGO bricks. In one example, Nancy brings together developers, architects, legal teams, and security professionals to physically build data models in three dimensions. What might have been an abstract, technical discussion becomes tangible and accessible. People see the system, not just diagrams of it. They spot vulnerabilities, ask better questions, and understand each other.
Play is the ultimate connector, it builds trust and breaks boundaries.
It’s not just about tools; it’s about trust. By breaking down barriers and encouraging openness, play helps teams connect on a human level. That connection, in turn, strengthens resilience. Because when people trust each other, they communicate more honestly, collaborate more effectively, and respond more cohesively when things go wrong. For organisations looking to embrace this mindset, Nancy has a recommendation:
Start small. Play doesn’t have to be big or dramatic to be effective.
A simple exercise, a short team activity, even a conversation about what motivates people – these are all entry points. Over time, these small shifts can reshape culture, making security not just a responsibility, but a shared experience. Her work also highlights inclusion. Play is universal. It transcends language, culture, and hierarchy, creating a space where everyone can participate equally. In doing so, it opens the door to more diverse perspectives and helps surface biases that might otherwise go unchallenged.
Playfulness helps break barriers and makes biases visible.
There is also a broader lesson in her approach, captured in a quote she often references from Arno Allan Penzias: “If you don’t want to be replaced by a computer, don’t act like one.”
In practice, this means embracing the qualities that make us human, such as creativity, empathy, improvisation. Nancy shares a striking example from healthcare, where an A&E department improved patient handovers by bringing in a choreographer and a Formula 1 pit stop expert. One focused on movement, the other on speed and coordination, together they streamlined a high-pressure process. Even something as unexpected as improv theatre can reshape how teams reflect on incidents, moving away from blame and towards shared learning. And if there is one takeaway, she hopes readers will carry with them:
Play is the best way to get knowledge across.
We may not be able to clone Nancy, but perhaps we just need more people willing to bring a little more play into serious spaces.
