Transforming a comprehensive red team report into a compelling conference presentation is an act of translation. You are moving from a high-density, technical document intended for stakeholders to a narrative-driven performance for a broad audience. Success hinges not on sharing everything you found, but on selecting the most impactful story and telling it with clarity and authority.
The Presentation Development Workflow
A successful presentation is not created in a single burst of effort; it is built through a structured process. Each phase builds upon the last, turning raw findings into a polished, engaging talk. Rushing or skipping a phase often leads to a disjointed narrative or a delivery that fails to connect with the audience.
Phase 1: Content Curation
Your first task is to decide what to leave out. A 30-minute talk can realistically cover one core idea with two or three supporting findings. Trying to cram an entire red team engagement into a short slot is the most common mistake. Prioritize your content based on a combination of technical novelty and real-world impact.
The Content Prioritization Matrix
Use a simple matrix to score your findings. The goal is to identify the “prime candidates” that will form the backbone of your presentation.
| High Novelty | Medium Novelty | Low Novelty (Known Technique) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Impact | Prime Candidate | Strong Candidate | Mention for Context |
| Medium Impact | Good Candidate | Consider for Blog | Exclude |
| Low Impact | Exclude | Exclude | Exclude |
Your talk should be built around one or two findings from the “Prime Candidate” cell. Use “Strong Candidates” to support your main thesis and provide depth. Everything else is secondary and can likely be omitted for the sake of clarity.
Phase 2: Crafting the Narrative
With your core content selected, you need to structure it into a story. Technical audiences appreciate a logical flow that sets a clear problem, details the exploration, and delivers a satisfying conclusion. A well-structured talk is easier for you to deliver and for the audience to follow.
A Structural Pseudocode for a Technical Talk
Think of your presentation’s structure as a function. It takes the audience’s attention as input and should return understanding and insight as output.
// Function to structure a 30-minute AI security talk
function build_conference_talk_structure():
// Section 1: The Hook (3-4 minutes)
introduce_compelling_problem("This popular AI agent can be made to leak user data.")
state_your_core_finding("We discovered a novel vulnerability in its tool-use API.")
present_agenda() // Tell them what you're going to tell them.
// Section 2: The Setup (5-6 minutes)
explain_target_system_architecture_briefly()
define_threat_model("Assumptions: Attacker can craft inputs...")
// Section 3: The Discovery (12-15 minutes)
// This is the core of your presentation.
detail_methodology("How we found the bug: differential fuzzing, etc.")
showcase_vulnerability_1(clear_visual_or_demo)
explain_root_cause_analysis("Why the vulnerability exists.")
// Section 4: The Payoff (5-6 minutes)
summarize_impact("What this means for users and developers.")
propose_mitigations("Concrete, actionable defenses.")
call_to_action("We encourage you to test for X.")
thank_audience_and_open_for_questions()
Phase 3: Visual Design and Demonstration
Your slides are a visual aid, not a teleprompter. Their purpose is to support what you are saying, not to be a transcript of it. Simplicity, clarity, and visual impact are your primary goals.
Slide Design Principles
- One Idea Per Slide: Avoid cluttering a single slide with multiple concepts. If you have three points to make, use three slides.
- High Contrast, Large Font: Your slides must be readable from the back of a large, poorly lit room. Use dark text on a light background (or vice-versa) and a sans-serif font of at least 28pt.
- Visuals Over Text: Use diagrams, screenshots, and graphs to explain complex ideas. A well-designed diagram is more effective than a paragraph of text.
Managing Demonstrations: Video vs. Live
A live demo is high-risk, high-reward. When it works, it’s incredibly compelling. When it fails due to network issues, OS updates, or simple bad luck, it can derail your entire presentation. For most situations, a pre-recorded video is the superior choice.
Pre-recorded Video
Pros: Guaranteed to work, can be edited for clarity and speed, allows you to focus on narrating the action.
Cons: Can feel less “authentic” if not presented well.
Best Practice: Record your screen while talking through the steps. Edit out pauses and mistakes. During the talk, play the video on screen and narrate it live as if you were doing it in real-time.
Live Demo
Pros: Highly engaging, feels authentic, allows for audience interaction.
Cons: Extremely high risk of failure (Wi-Fi, VPN, API keys, etc.). Can consume more time than planned.
Best Practice: Only attempt if you have a 100% local, self-contained setup that requires no network access. Always have a pre-recorded video as a backup.
Phase 4: Rehearsal and Refinement
Great speakers are not born; they are made through practice. Rehearsal is where you transition from knowing your material to being able to perform it effectively. Your goal is to internalize the flow and timing so that your delivery feels natural and confident.
Actionable Rehearsal Techniques
- Full Run-Throughs: Do several full presentations, from start to finish, using a timer. Stand up and speak out loud, just as you will on stage.
- Record Yourself: Use your phone or webcam to record a practice session. Watching yourself is the fastest way to identify and correct awkward phrasing, distracting mannerisms, and verbal tics like “um” or “ah”.
- Prepare for Q&A: Brainstorm the ten most likely questions you will be asked. Prepare concise, clear answers for each. Also, prepare for hostile or off-topic questions. Having a polite “Let’s take that offline” response ready is essential.
- The “Speaker’s Kit”: Prepare a small bag with everything you might need: your specific HDMI/USB-C adapter, a presentation clicker, a bottle of water, and a USB drive with a PDF and PPTX copy of your slides. Do not depend on the venue for anything.
Final Polish
Your presentation is a contribution to the community’s collective knowledge. It represents your work, your team, and your organization. By investing time in curation, narrative design, and practice, you ensure that your valuable findings are not lost in a poor delivery. Your goal is to leave the audience with one clear, memorable idea that they can take with them and apply to their own work.