The cybersecurity industry faces a growing skills gap, with as many as 3.5m unfilled positions. And the problem is set to grow.
Could recruiting neurodiverse staff be part of the solution? In the UK, only 16 per cent of adults with autism have a full time job. But neurodiverse people — including those with autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and ADHD, often have skills – including pattern matching and attention to detail – that lend themselves to cybersecurity roles.
CREST, the industry body for security testers, recently researched neurodiversity in cybersecurity, and looked at what can be done to recruit, and develop, staff.
Neurodiversity should, of course, form part of a wider diversity strategy. But there are specific steps employers, and security departments, can and should take to make their organisations more open to neurodiversity.
The payback can be swift, in the form of more effective teams and better security, says our guest, Gemma Moore, CREST GB executive member and a director of security consultants Cyberis.
Featured image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
