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neurodiversity interview nicola whiting

How cybersecurity businesses are welcoming neurodiverse talent

  • min read
    • Neurodiversity's importance in organizations is gaining steam, with many large, tech-rich enterprises like Ford, IBM and Microsoft reforming their HR processes to ensure they recruit and retain neurodiverse talent. Neurodivergent people have conditions that mean they think differently than others, for example, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia. I asked Nicola Whiting MBE, co-owner of Titania Group and NeuroCyber board member,  why neurodiversity matters in cybersecurity and how businesses can be more inclusive and supportive of neurodivergent employees. Gemma: Why is neurodiversity important? Nicola: Neurodiversity – where you have many different thinking styles and perspectives – increases the range of ideas in a business, which means competitive advantage in innovation and resilience. It's the opposite of groupthink – when everyone has similar ideas, so businesses stagnate and make poor decisions. More personally, being autistic, I'm saddened by how many brilliant neurodivergent people struggle to get jobs in our industry, despite the known skills gap. JPMorgan Chase reported in 2021 that neurodivergent employees in certain tech roles may be up to 140 percent more productive than neurotypical colleagues. However, businesses still struggle to build inclusive practices that let all neurotypes thrive. I want to help change that. You're on NeuroCyber's advisory board. What are its aims? NeuroCyber's founder and CEO, Mike Spain, has a neurodivergent son. He saw too few opportunities for neurodivergent people in cybersecurity and wanted to change that. NeuroCyber believes in inclusion at every level – over half the board are neurodivergent. We're driven to improve career outcomes for neurodivergent colleagues, enriching the sector and reducing the UK's cyber skills gap. Why does the cybersecurity industry especially benefit from neurodiversity? In cybersecurity, everything we do is either innovation – creating new things – or resilience against attack and business threat. Neurodiversity is essential for both. For example, if you follow the principle 'to defeat an attacker, you must be able to think like an attacker,' you need a variety of neurotypes because attackers are similarly varied. What about in leadership? Should boards and C-suites consider neurodiversity? Absolutely. Boards should be especially wary of groupthink. Many innovative, well-known entrepreneurs are neurodivergent, like Richard Branson, who is dyslexic, and Elon Musk, who is autistic. There are also many neurodivergent industry leaders who don't disclose the fact because they fear stigma. Which cyber organizations are 'doing it right' with neurodiversity? One organization I admire is Genius Within, founded by Dr. Nancy Doyle. They believe in creating inclusive workplaces, allowing neurodivergent people to thrive and maximize their talents and strengths. What's your advice for companies that want to become more diverse and inclusive of neurodiversity? Follow the principle of 'nothing about us without us' (NAUWU.) Teams that can drive their processes and practices are more engaged and have better outcomes. You should also acknowledge that people have unconscious bias that draws them to prefer working with people that look and think like themselves. You can see it in the questions we prioritize in recruitment like, "Will this person fit with the team?" rather than, "What new skills and talents will they bring, and how will we support them?" There's plenty of fantastic advice on reducing bias in hiring and retaining team members, much of which is free. Companies needn't look far to learn how to improve their processes, practices and culture for greater diversity and inclusion. What will organizations gain if they take action on neurodiversity? Taking action on neurodiversity can mean benefits in terms of growth, innovation and resilience to risk. You'll also gain the personal benefits of inclusive, welcoming work environments. It always pays to diversify. Opinions reflect those of the expert. Interview has been edited for clarity.
returnship programs

How return-to-work programs boost retention for women in tech

  • min read
    • Mothers returning to work after a career break to raise children face many challenges, from closed doors to employers penalizing resumé gaps to being expected to take a backward step for a more family-friendly role. Research by the Association of British Insurers in 2018 found having children leads to women earning 20 percent less than men long-term. UK charity Pregnant then Screwed's data shows around 62 percent of women returners work fewer hours, change jobs or stop working because of high childcare costs. Support in returning to work How can companies support women to thrive in the workforce while closing the gender pay gap? Harvard Business Review names "returnships," or return-to-work programs, as one of the top five ways. PWC research shows better supporting returners could raise UK women's earnings 1.1 billion British pounds (around 1.5 billion US dollars) while boosting the UK economy 1.7 billion British pounds ($2.3 billion US dollars.) Meta, formerly Facebook, launched its returnships program. People who've been away from work for two years or more and want to re-enter full time are eligible for the 16-week, immersive, paid program. If you show ability to succeed after training and mentorship, you're considered for a full-time position. Returning without starting from scratch With a nearly four-year resumé gap after having two children, IT professional Zandra Otubamowo anticipated picking up her career where she'd left it. But after a string of rejections, she had to consider starting from scratch. She says, "I had many mixed feelings, but the one that stands out was the frustration of trying to get something you know you want, but it's not coming, and you don't know what else to do." Otubamowo continues, "In that gap, it's not like I was sitting at home, just taking care of my family. I was still learning about the technical world, doing training and connecting with people. So what didn't I have? I felt like the gap was the reason." A friend told Otubamowo about Meta's Return to Work program. She applied immediately and started her role as Technical Program Manager in September 2020. Meta hopes its Return-to-Work initiative will help double female employees globally by 2026 – women are currently around 37 percent of their workforce. "The support in the program was like being put into a bubble to protect us, which you don't get when you just come in normally," Otubamowo says. "From my manager to my mentor and my buddy, there were so many people put in place for me to make sure I succeed. You're coming into a space where things are moving so quickly, but in the program, people help you move at your pace. I don't think I could have survived otherwise." "We need more women to feel comfortable coming back into the workforce and not feel like they have to take a paycut or fall behind – that you are going to be given what you deserve," says Otubamowo. Bridging the gender gap Financial services group Nomura launched its Returners Program in 2019 as part of a plan to increase numbers of women in the business. The program gives 12 weeks' induction, training and coaching to anyone who's had a career break of 18 months or more, after which candidates can apply for positions at the company. Most succeed. Nomura is aiming for 33 percent female employees and has so far reached 31 percent. They want 19 percent working at senior level and have reached 14 percent. After a seven-year career break to care for two young daughters, Rachael Grieve recalls jumping back into the job market in 2019 and finding nothing but despair. The yawning gap in her resumé left her with few opportunities that suited her experience and ideal schedule. After a failed interview for an office manager position, "I went home and burst into tears, thinking, "That's it – I'm done." It felt like all these doors were closed. I still remember that desperation and fear, especially after interviews destroy your confidence. You find yourself stuck as to where to go." Soon after, a chance conversation with a friend who still worked at her previous employer, Nomura, led to Grieve returning and setting up the company's Returners Program. Shereen Peeroo Finney, a cybersecurity architect, joined Nomura in 2019 through the program after taking two years away to reassess her career direction and retrain. "We had resumé advice, practice interviews, external mentoring and a 90-day plan. The program helps you regain confidence a lot faster," Peeroo Finney says. Securing the right support and partners for success Tackling gender inequality isn't easy, admits Grieve, now Nomura's global head of learning and development for technology. She feels strongly about leading this program, so it becomes a standard part of Nomura's diversity, equality and inclusion strategy. "Our Chief Information Officer from day one was 100 percent supportive," Grieve says. "It made a massive difference to be given the platform and sponsorship. I also made sure all senior managers understood the caliber of candidates we were getting through it." Specialist firm Inclusivity Partners helps run Nomura's returnship program and similar programs for Shell and Virgin Money. Inclusivity Partners founder Stephanie Dillon says, "If you want to make the difference for women, they need a job. They need pension contributions. They need financial independence. With return programs, you're providing a job opportunity. Now [when the candidate is] back in the market, other companies think, "that's a good candidate," rather than fixating on the career break."
engaging women

Infographic: Why women leave tech careers, and what to do about it

  • min read
    • In tech, there's much talk of what we can do to recruit more women. But we rarely talk about that even bigger problem: Once we recruit women into tech roles, they're more likely to leave the career than men. The good news is, leaders can do a lot to change that. How leaders can help more women (and men) stay engaged at work When it comes to retaining more women, the changes you make will likely benefit all staff. Work on these six areas to help keep everyone in your team engaged. 1.    Get better at onboarding Karen Holtzblatt of WITOps says, "50 percent of women are not clear about what to do to be successful. All new hires need to develop strong connections and knowledge and skill to succeed. Use our Team Onboarding Checklist to onboard right." 2.    Encourage valuing and belonging "Women need to feel belonging and value in their team," says Karen Holtzblatt. WITOps have engaging, practical activities to foster more supportive workplace behaviors. 3.    Use tools to reduce bias "Map the full employee experience and identify where bias influences career paths. Use tools and processes that mitigate human and automated biases," says Dr. Patricia Gestoso, BIOVIA's Head of Scientific Customer Support in Kaspersky's Women in Tech report 2021. 4.    Be all about mentoring Mentoring helps more women rise through the ranks, says global tech leader Margaret Dawson. Leaders should take opportunities to mentor and encourage team members to get a mentor. 5.   Take breaks and switch off 'Always on' work culture is bad for productivity and health, and affects women more because they're more likely to have care responsibilities. Lead by example: Take regular breaks, switch off after hours and encourage all in your team to do the same. 6.    Identify and challenge ways your business centers men Are employee benefits male-coded, like tickets to sporting events? Is competitiveness overly encouraged? Do after-work drinks loom large? Review benefits and offer what more women need, like flexible work and good parental leave. Infographic references 1 Accenture Resetting Tech Culture report 2021 2 Accenture Resetting Tech Culture report 2021 3 Pew Research 4 New study reveals key to the gender gap in C-suite 5 Karen Holtzblatt, WITOps 6 Kaspersky Women in Tech report 2020-21 7 WITOps onboarding research 8 WITOps onboarding checklist 9 Fostering more supportive behaviors 10 Kaspersky Women in Tech report 2020-21 11 Mentoring is hard but rewarding, and it's everyone's job 12 ACCA Global: The always-on culture is bad for productivity and health
Jonathan Kewley tech lawyer

Technology and the law: What will we see next?

  • min read
    • Too few lawyers are at home in law and tech – a vulnerability in highly digitized economies. Jonathan Kewley is working to bridge the gap, leading a team of specialists in technology and the law at Clifford Chance and founding IGNITE, combining legal training and tech development. I caught up with him to discuss global artificial intelligence standards, the proliferation of ransomware attacks, and diversity in tech and law. Elisabeth: The lack of AI (artificial intelligence) standards is a rapidly growing problem. Is there hope for international agreement? Jonathan: Government will has never been greater, but how do you get from will to an agreement? The European approach has been like a land grab: Proposing global standards in the form of the new AI Act. The EU is good at setting technology standards that can be applied globally because that's easier for companies than to adhere to many standards. But the EU is likely to struggle to enforce outside the EU, for example, in China. So we see increasing fragmentation around AI standards. There are different priorities. The US is concerned regulating AI might harm innovation, and China speaks about the need for security. But the elephant in the room is the security of private information. Other countries with highly developed financial infrastructure think a lot about these issues because it could mean financial instability if AI goes wrong. There should be areas all countries can agree on, like the security of children's data and protecting vulnerable groups from AI bias and prejudice. There, we can build consensus and establish a global, multi-lateral approach. Recent ransomware attacks have brought down many vital services, yet nobody knows how to stop them. What would work? Ransomware attacks are rapidly proliferating. There are so many now that law enforcement support to victims is much less than two years ago. Ransomware attacks can bring down a company, especially since digitization of customer service and working from home brought on by the pandemic. If those services are affected, the company often feels they must pay the ransom or face ruin.   Companies must make sure their workforce understands ransomware risks. Many attacks begin because people innocently allow attackers in, for example, through phishing emails. And as people use digital services more, they become more comfortable in the digital environment and more trusting. Criminals exploit that. Employers must make sure employees realize they're on the frontline. We need new digital-age ways to lean over to a colleague and ask if an online request looks suspicious. Today, law and tech firms are more open to all kinds of employees, but they're not very successful in attracting minorities. What are they missing? The two industries have some similar challenges. Traditionally they have been male-dominated and tend to draw talent from privileged backgrounds. At times, tech and law still feel intimidating and closed-off to people from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds. It's vital for people from minority backgrounds to know they belong in tech and law, and that they can rise to the top. To help change the narrative, I've established a scholarship program where I studied at Hertford College, University of Oxford, supporting people from disadvantaged backgrounds to study computer science. Diversity in tech education is not just about winning hearts and minds – people also need money. It's not about diversity for diversity's sake – it's about getting a range of perspectives around the table. It will mean tech is designed and built by representative groups: Safer and more ethical technology for all. Tech and law firms often say in job ads that they invite people from minority groups to apply. What else should they do to attract a more diverse workforce? They need to go far beyond that. At Clifford Chance we do outreach with schools and local communities to show young people that there are people like them at our firm. We're also committed to achieving a more neurodiverse workforce. We've worked with autism specialists to review and adjust how we interview and assess candidates. Then there are practical steps like ensuring we don't have a one-size-fits-all approach to appraisals and acknowledging a more diverse talent pool will have different training needs and priorities. Which trends do you see shaping the technology and legal field in the next few years? Algorithms. We've already seen the car crash created by the exams algorithm misfiring in the UK, allocating school grades on a postcode lottery. If this is magnified in a business of scale, it will bring that business down. Secondly, technology ethics boards are already starting to appear and will be common in five years. These will inspire change at C-suite level by being more diverse, creative and challenging than conventional oversight structures.

How your air conditioning could start a cyberattack

  • min read
    • Many big businesses know they could be cybercrime targets and invest in defenses like software and training. That's why cybercriminals are increasingly attacking through smaller suppliers who don't have the same knowledge and resources. It's called a supply chain attack. In Tomorrow Unlocked's second episode in the hacker:HUNTER Behind the Screens series, Eliza-May Austin, CEO and co-founder of th4ts3cur1ty.company (That Security Company,) explains how US retail giant Target was attacked through a most unexpected device – the air conditioning. We ask Austin how businesses can prepare for supply chain attacks and how she thinks things are going for women in cybersecurity careers. In Tomorrow Unlocked's Hacker: HUNTER Behind the Screens video, you talk about the supply chain attack on Target in 2013. Why is this attack so important? Businesses must work with other businesses, which makes us all susceptible to a certain degree of risk. Take an airplane, for example. To go from concept to in the air involves hundreds of businesses, contractors and applications. It takes just one breach to compromise that trusted ecosystem. It's something we should all take seriously. Your business th4ts3cur1ty.company (That Security Company) helps companies large and small harden their supply chains. How do you do that? There are many things businesses can do to defend against supply chain attacks. For example, we run penetration testing, consult on governance, risk and compliance and importantly, logging, monitoring and vulnerability management. Are businesses becoming more aware of supply chain attacks and responding appropriately? I can't confidently say yes, which is why I'm vocal on the issue. I recently asked a small-to-medium company (SMB) that supplies services to the medical sector if they'd considered how an attack would impact their clients' security. I was met with such bemusement you'd think I'd asked for a sandwich. What's the most common problem making businesses vulnerable to supply chain attacks? Not knowing how prevalent it is. But also, some businesses that do understand the issue's scale get overwhelmed by it. These attacks aren't always sophisticated – simple measures can go a long way. How did you get into cybersecurity? I moved from a degree in forensic science to a degree in digital forensics, did some internships and the rest is history. You don't need a degree to be in cybersecurity. Is the industry giving women equal opportunities to enter and succeed yet? I think this industry, like any, is what you make of it. Cybersecurity is a fantastic career choice for women and should be promoted as such. What could employers do today to attract and retain more women? I get asked this a lot, so I wrote 15 ways to attract more women to your technical cybersecurity team. I've included simple, practical things like considering the physical environment. For example, if employees have to crawl around on the floor to plug in a laptop, that may feel degrading when wearing a skirt. I also recommend being more open-minded about what kind of people you need: What is Ladies Hacking Society (LHS) and why did you found it? LHS is an awesome community of women who come together to learn from one another and teach each other hacking. I wanted to create a technical option for women because I found mixed events were not really mixed (mainly men) whereas women's events revolved around governance or high-level theory. It's a lot of fun and a great bunch of people. Which is the most important lesson from your 11 leadership lessons from terrible managers, and why? Lesson 3: A sense of humor matters. People tend to take themselves too seriously. Encouraging people to laugh and joke does wonders for team morale and gets people through stressful times. Let's all calm down and have a giggle.  

How tech’s brightest stars are putting accessibility first

  • min read
    • Today, tech firms are starting to realize it's good for business if their technology is accessible to all users, whether disabled or non-disabled. But knowing that accessibility matters – and making it a core business priority in actions as well as words – are different things. I've been speaking with two companies celebrated for putting accessibility first in product design – fast-growing accounting software business Xero and accessible app and software designers Axess Lab. I also spoke with Siteimprove – a company making software that helps businesses catch and fix website accessibility problems. "Accessibility is important because customers are at the center of everything we do," says Laila Coulton, Head of Digital Accessibility at Xero. "Our culture values diversity and inclusion. We want to make a difference by championing these values within our sector and the broader community. As a large tech company, we believe it's our obligation." Hampus Sethfors, Co-founder and Accessibility and User Experience Specialist at Axess Lab, thinks similarly. "I see it as being on the right side of history. People with disabilities have been excluded and discriminated against. It's time humankind stepped up. Making the digital space inclusive is a huge part of that." Sethfors believes improved accessibility for disabled people benefits all users. "I've got a baby at home and constantly find myself one-handed, lacking time and lacking sleep. Building products that work for people with impairments is a way to build awesome products for everyone." How common are accessibility problems? Axess Lab examined digital products like banking apps, online shopping sites and food delivery apps to find out if disabled users can complete routine tasks. They've found problems so widespread that, more often than not, web users with disabilities simply can't use them. Sethfors thinks one of the main reasons behind this is that software engineering and web designer education rarely includes practical accessibility skills or knowledge. "Too few tech professionals have accessibility training. If you're trained, accessibility is little or no extra effort. Picking colors with enough contrast doesn't take longer than picking colors that contrast poorly – you just need to know how." Accessibility, usability or both? Some use terms like accessibility and usability interchangeably. But are they the same thing? Coulton of Xero says, "The two are intertwined. I challenge my teams to start with usability rather than ticking off accessibility compliance criteria. The focus should always be on the user experience. Accessibility is making sure as many people as possible enjoy those usable experiences." Sethfors points out, "If your product is only usable for some, it should be called Some User's Experience, or SUX, as Ubisoft accessibility specialist Billy Gregory tweeted. Usability is more than accessibility, but a product can't be usable unless it's accessible." Accessibility can mesh well with security and affordability too. Take, for example, Motorica, who work with prosthesis users to create high-tech, secure and affordable artificial limbs. Kaspersky helps Motorica make sure its prostheses are safe from cyber-intrusion. Focus on making things work for users Coulton says Xero reviews designs using the Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust (POUR) framework from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The World Wide Web Consortium created it in consultation with disabled web users to give standards for making digital products accessible. "We review and test code, including automated and manual testing against the WCAG success criteria. We do functional testing using screen readers such as VoiceOver, NVDA and TalkBack. We also test and research with users with disabilities." Sethfors says sometimes businesses get too hung up on the guidelines. "They're long and complex, but accessibility is super interesting, fun and engaging. Instead, focus on making things work for users." Jennifer Chadwick, Senior Accessibility Consultant at Siteimprove, agrees. "Using a checklist to comply with WCAG is an excellent practice to introduce teams to implementing accessibility. Companies should also run regular usability testing with people with disabilities. Sites can comply with WCAG but not be optimal for users, so using the guidelines and conducting user testing is best." Where accessibility work fits When is the right time in development to think about accessibility? Coulton says, "Across the whole cycle. We start with inclusive research and setting the accessibility scope. Designers and Front End Developers must ensure accessibility is part of their definition of 'done.' We validate with user testing and the WCAG success criteria." Sethfors thinks you can never start too soon. "I'd start before the development cycle and build accessibility into current business habits. If you acceptance-test regularly, add accessibility criteria. If you user-test every other month, recruit one or two diverse users for each test. Take small steps, everywhere, all the time. It's more effective and fun, and less costly." Tobias Christian Jensen, Siteimprove Digital Accessibility Specialist, says it's crucial to be proactive. "Fixing accessibility retroactively is like adding plumbing after building a house. Accessibility should be a part of every step." Jensen recommends adopting a practice of Shifting Left, described by Siteimprove's Chadwick as, "Moving efforts around designing and testing for accessibility issues as far back in the workflow as you can. Everyone – from UX and graphic designers; to content writers; to developers – must consider the needs and preferences of people with disabilities as early as possible." Finding testers with disabilities So at some point (ideally, many points,) you'll need to find people with a range of disabilities to test your products. These include physical impairments, like motor impairment and using prosthesis, low vision, Deaf or hard of hearing, but also invisible impairments, like memory loss and inability to focus. Then there's neurodivergence such as autism, ADHD and learning difficulties, and much more. Sethfors suggests, "Find and partner with disability organizations in your area. Make sure you have a way to pay users to take part. If you need help recruiting, Fable specializes in recruiting diverse test users for larger organizations." Siteimprove has a rewarding partnership with Fable. "Our software monitors your efforts to meet WCAG conformance and best practice for code. We combine this with usability assessments for the most complex and high-traffic webpages by Fable's testers. Both provide valuable reports on barriers to remove." Starting your accessibility journey Coulton points to Sheri Byrne-Haber's words in her handbook for designers, Giving a Damn About Accessibility. "To avoid the peaks and valleys of the accessibility emotional roller coaster, people just getting started on their accessibility journey need to accept the following statement at face value: Your first effort at accessibility is unlikely to be outstanding. Don't use this as an excuse." Sethfors adds, "If you approach accessibility in the right way, you'll have a blast, make your team proud and create a better product for everyone."
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