Cyber Security
Where autism offers a competitive advantage By Dr David Cook
C
yber-attacks can come from anywhere, and it seems that cyber warriors can also emerge from unexpected quarters. The newest weapon in organisations’ defences turns out to be people on the autism spectrum, whose special talents make them ideally suited to the role of cyber warrior. The characteristics that distinguish people on the spectrum include scrupulous honesty, a passion for problem-solving, superior talent at spotting patterns, and exceptional focus on pursuing anomalies until they are resolved. They are relentless in detecting incongruities and repairing code, refusing to stop until a solution is found. As a result of their pursuit of logical outcomes, people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to demonstrate outstanding dedication to software objectives and are very unlikely to misrepresent or distort the truth. These gifts also make them highly suited to software testing, another key area of the IT industry. Neurodiversity is fast becoming a specialised category of ICT employment with a much higher rating in terms of expected benefits and efficiencies, despite past stereotypes that pigeon-holed ASD candidates as too difficult. The
emerging view is now more accepting towards quirks and peculiarities, and those with high functioning ASD are receiving greater attention than before. The new language is not so much about “challenges” and “difficulties”. Clever human resources planners now talk about the new “different” in ICT employment opportunities. Roles connected with IT, assurance and data analytics may appeal to people on the spectrum because they feel more comfortable interacting with machines than dealing with people, especially face to face. This can be a welcome relief for this group of people, who may have difficulties dealing with the unwritten rules of personal discussions and social structures. As well, interactions within the computing domain usually require logical engagement with systems, programs and platforms, and provide specific work objectives, clear guidelines and relatively rigid protocols for completing tasks, which suit many people on the spectrum. As Harvard Business Review reports, savvy organisations are catching on to the fact that people with high-functioning ASD offer a competitive advantage. The federal Department of Human Services has found that
