On Thursday, November 20th, at SuriCon 2025 in Montréal, Patrick Kelley, CEO of Critical Path Security and Léargas Security, will deliver a session unlike any other on the agenda: “Mental Health in Cybersecurity: Balancing the Scales.”
Beyond Dashboards and Packet Captures
Cybersecurity is often defined by dashboards, packet captures, and detections. But this talk shifts the focus to the people behind them. For more than 30 years, Patrick Kelley has worked in the trenches—securing critical infrastructure, responding to incidents, and building platforms that protect organizations around the world. Along the way, he has carried invisible wounds: trauma, CPTSD, Bipolar Disorder, and burnout.
Rather than hide behind accolades, Patrick will speak openly about the personal costs of this work and the realities that so many in the industry quietly endure.
A Raw, Human Conversation
This session won’t be a therapy lecture or a clinical analysis—it’s an honest conversation. Patrick will explore:
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The psychological toll of high-performance security work.
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The dangers of untreated mental illness in the cybersecurity field.
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How survivors of trauma and burnout can still thrive.
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Practical steps for building a healthier, more sustainable future for defenders.
Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of why human sustainability matters as much as technical excellence.
Why It Matters at SuriCon
SuriCon has always been a gathering for the global Suricata community—developers, researchers, and defenders building the next generation of open-source threat detection. In Montréal this year, it’s also a place to confront the truth: defenders cannot keep protecting others if they don’t protect themselves.
About Patrick Kelley
Patrick Kelley is the CEO of Critical Path Security and Léargas Security. He has spent three decades on the front lines of cybersecurity, from incident response to building advanced detection platforms. He is also a survivor of trauma, CPTSD, and burnout. Today, he speaks candidly about the intersection of mental health and cyber defense, advocating for a culture that values honesty, resilience, and sustainability.
SuriCon 2025 is more than a technical conference—it’s a community. Join Patrick on November 20th in Montréal for a conversation that could change the way we think about defending not just systems, but people.