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How greater 'neurodiversity' could improve cyber security and help overcome IT skills shortages

Cyber security needs specialists who really can 'think different'

Cyber crime has become a harsh reality for organisations in today's interconnected world. But while cyber attacks are rising in occurrence and complexity, organisations are plagued by a shortage of professionals with the skills to thwart them.

In fact, according to research from non-profit association (ISC)², the global shortage of cyber security professionals has grown to three million and 63 per cent of organisations lack the skills to be able to mitigate and respond to cyber attacks.

Some areas of cyber, such as ethical hacking and advanced threat analysis, really benefit from non-neurotypical mindsets and approaches

While these figures are certainly worrying, many people believe that this growing skills gap could be closed by increasing diversity in the cyber security industry. Neurodiverse individuals, in particular, often have unique skillsets and insights that could help businesses keep one step ahead of attackers.

Championing neurodiversity

As a term, neurodiversity refers to a variation in brain function and behaviour traits, such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia. While there has often been a stigma attached to these conditions, many experts believe that people whose brains interact with the world in different ways bring many advantages.

Neil Thacker, CISO of Netskope and a member of NeuroCyber, takes the view that neurodiverse individuals can bring unique strengths and insights to the cyber security industry. "These professionals are often asked to ‘think differently', to innovate and to use their logical and methodical skills on a regular basis as they demonstrate their cyber aptitude and skillset.

"Neurodiverse strengths, by nature, may allow for neurodiverse individuals to possess enhanced logical, methodical and outside of the box thinking. In addition, enhanced skills in cognitive pattern recognition, attention to detail, reliability and loyalty strengths are common traits in neurodiverse individuals."

He notes how organisations are becoming more aware of the opportunities that neurodiverse people can bring. The cyber security industry, in particular, is championing neurodiversity in a number of ways. "In a recent capture-the-flag (CTF) ethical hacking competition hosted by the Security Advisor Alliance, the application and advantage of neurodiverse skills were witnessed and found to be effective in supporting a winning team," says Thacker.

They often are deeply analytical and possess the kind of pattern recognition capabilities that are highly valued in software engineering

"As this awareness increases, so does an increase in the number of organisations in the cyber security sector providing schemes for those with neurodiverse conditions to become aware of the demand and opportunity in the cybersecurity field.

NeuroCyber, a group formed to help support neurodiversity in cybersecurity, is one of the organisations working with its member organisations to better promote and support awareness, growth and enrichment of the sector through diversity and positively impacting the skills gap."

The power of thinking differently

With cyber security threats increasing in both scale and complexity, organisations are in desperate need of people who can look at problems from different and unique perspectives.

Richard Lush, vice president of cyber operational security at services firm CGI UK, says: "Some areas of cyber, such as ethical hacking and advanced threat analysis, really benefit from non-neurotypical mindsets and approaches.

"Often, this is not the result of classical, a-typical problem solving taught in traditional education, as the analytical nature of this work requires a problem-solving, think-outside-the-box mindset. Most of our best performers in these areas come from a diverse range of backgrounds and neurodiversity is key to our success."

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How greater 'neurodiversity' could improve cyber security and help overcome IT skills shortages

Cyber security needs specialists who really can 'think different'

Ash Sharma, global resourcing leader for engineering and technology at Cielo, agrees that neurodiverse individuals bring a significant competitive advantage to organisations. He says: "They often are deeply analytical and possess the kind of pattern recognition capabilities that are highly valued in software engineering, software testing and data science. A diverse team can bring alternative approaches to problem-solving."

He points out that promoting neurodiversity could also be key to closing the growing skills gap in the cyber security industry. "As employers focus on how their development and implementation strategies can help stem the labour shortage in the cyber security sector, predicted to amount to 1.8 million workers by 2022, one key area that continues to be overlooked is neurodiversity," continues Sharma.

Some of these applicants may struggle in group interviews and settings that are not acoustically, or visually, appropriate

"Employers should audit their current recruitment processes and make the necessary adjustments to better fit the needs of neurodiverse applicants. It is important to note that some of these applicants may struggle in group interviews and settings that are not acoustically, or visually, appropriate. Easy fixes include trying video interviews, avoiding hypothetical questions, and carrying out trials of flexible home working."

But Jane Morrison-Ross, chief executive of trade body ScotlandIS, says neurodiversity promotion should not just be seen as a way of addressing the skills gap, but as an opportunity to excel and deliver competitive advantage.

She explains: "It is proven that many non-neuro typical (NNT) people have highly developed pattern recognition skills and an ability to focus on detail others would miss. These characteristics are a huge bonus in areas like data analysis and cyber security. In practice, we have to actively look beyond ‘typical' recruitment and team management processes to not just accommodate but attract NNT candidates and colleagues into the industry."

Nicola Whiting, chief security officer of penetration testing company Titania, who is openly autistic, says that being neurodiverse means she is 'hard-wired' to think differently. She adds: "This has benefited Titania, the boards I serve on and our wider industry. Research shows diverse boards and organisations are more successful, more innovative and more profitable.

"They benefit from having a wider range of ideas at the table and avoid the risks of group-think. Ensuring people have the support they need to thrive and contribute, makes ethical sense, but more importantly it makes good business sense - difference makes us stronger."

Diversity is crucial

Although neurodiverse individuals may have unique skills that can set them apart in the cyber security industry, John Hackston - head of thought leadership at personal development specialists The Myers-Briggs Company - says this shouldn't solely define them as people.

He says: "In the quest to increase cybersecurity, it has been suggested that increasing the degree of neurodiversity in the workforce might help. For example, it's been proposed that people on the autistic spectrum may have ‘special skills' that are useful here.

"And if this means that recruitment processes are audited so as not to unfairly discriminate against these individuals, that's all to the good. But don't forget that these are people, not single-function automata; neurodiversity is just one aspect of who they are."

Citing research, Hackston says that more diverse teams can outperform more homogenous ones, but may have more conflict. To ensure that neurodiverse people succeed in the workplace, it's crucial that organisations take steps to boost understanding of these individuals.

He continues: "While our work does not typically focus on neurodiversity, the basic equation of increased self-awareness equals increased understanding of others equals better relationships and appreciation of others does apply here as well. Rather than recruiting more neurodiverse individuals and leaving them to sink or swim, let's create a climate where differences can be welcomed, valued and used by existing teams."

Over the coming years, there's no doubt that cyber security threats will continue to increase, both in number and in sophistication. That means there will be ever-greater pressure on organisations to take steps to protect themselves and their customers. And hiring neurodiverse people who may be able to see these threats from a different perspective could certainly give an organisation the edge when it comes to fighting back.