10:00 am - 11:15 am ET 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm UTC | Opening Remarks |
10:00 am - 10:15 am ET 2:00 pm - 2:15 pm UTC | Keynote More information to come.
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11:00 am - 11:15 am ET 3:00 pm - 3:15 pm UTC | Break |
11:15 am - 11:50 am ET 3:15 pm - 3:50 pm UTC | Different Voices, Different Perspectives: The Importance of Neuroinclusion for Better Mental Health Workplaces have often not been set up to be neurodivergent-friendly. Many employers unknowingly have environments, processes, and policies in place that are biased towards neurotypicals and don't take into account the needs of those who are neurodivergent.
Furthermore, nearly 2 out of 3 employees say they’ve experienced backlash from their often neurotypical co-workers when a private detail of their life becomes known at work. Mental health issues, neurodivergence, and disabilities were among the types of details commonly exposed.
In this session entitled “Different Voices, Different Perspectives: The Importance of Neuroinclusion for Better Mental Health” we will be discussing:
-Is neurodivergence the same as mental health challenges?
– Why might neurodivergent individuals be susceptible to mental health issues?
– Why would someone need to “mask” being neurodivergent and why isn’t a typical workplace conducive to neurodivergent individuals bringing their full selves to work?
– What factors relating to the workplace might provoke or exacerbate mental health challenges for people of minority neurotypes?
– How can any manager, HR professional, DEI professional ensure that the mental health of employees of minority neurotypes is respected and supported?
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11:55 am - 12:30 pm ET 3:55 pm - 4:30 pm UTC | I’m ok, you’re ok, we’re ok: Living with AD(H)D in infosec I was diagnosed with AD(H)D almost four years ago, aged 44. Getting diagnosed and being able to get medicated meant the world to me; suddenly I understood all those supposedly random, weird symptoms and I was able to function remarkably better. Understanding also meant that I got more insight to why it was becoming increasingly harder for me to get and keep a job. Something had to happen.
I’ve been an infosec professional for almost 20 years but after my diagnosis I moved to community marketing which basically meant doing the sparetime thing I love as a living.
In December 2022 I was fired again; not sustainable. My (wise) wife said “You can’t talk about having ADHD and the challenges you have without acting upon them”. Inspired by this I decided to get the ultimate freedom and go freelance after realizing that would work best for me.
By doing this talk I hope to spread knowledge about ADHD, break down taboos and inspire peers to better understand themselves, get help if they need it and to inspire others to talk about their challenges openly, ultimately leading to a better life with whatever neurodiversity they may have.
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12:35 pm - 1:25 pm ET 4:35 pm - 5:25 pm UTC | TBA |
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm ET 5:30 pm - 6:15 pm UTC | Lunch Break |
2:15 pm - 2:50 pm ET 6:15 pm - 6:50 pm UTC | Value of Mentorship: Building a better approach to support Neurodiversity in Cybersecurity Studies conducted by the National Library of Medicine show that 15 – 20% of the world’s population is neurodivergent. Today we live in a world that understands neurodiversity much better than before. However, with the majority of the population being neurotypical, there is still some lack of awareness.
A neurodivergent individual thinks, learns and processes information in a certain way different from a neurotypical individual. This is very commonly perceived as their weakness. But it is very important to understand that due to their ability to think differently, a neurodivergent individual possesses unique skills and talents such as problem solving, pattern matching, data analysis and attention to detail that is beneficial to grow as a Cybersecurity Professional.
Mentorship plays a significant impact in their personal and professional growth. The problem starts when a neurotypical individual takes up the role of a mentor, thinking that the objective is to overcome one’s weakness and develop strengths. While in reality, mentoring a neurodivergent individual is to focus on supporting and helping them utilize their unique abilities as their strengths rather than weakness. So how can we address this Neurovariance gap in Cybersecurity through Mentoring and Mentorship programs?
In this session, you’ll learn:
• Why neurodivergent individuals are an asset to Cybersecurity
• How a well-structured mentorship program in Cybersecurity can create positive impact on personal and professional growth of neurodivergent individuals
• How neurotypical individuals can make a huge difference as Mentors
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2:55 pm - 3:30 pm ET 6:55 pm - 7:30 pm UTC | Wearing Multiple Hats: A Story of One Cybersecurity Professional Parenting Two Neurodivergent Youngsters I have been a researcher in the cybersecurity space for almost 20 years. My career began at a startup, where I was employee number 16 and the only female engineer for a long while but managed to earn the long-lasting title of the Rules Mistress (anyone here familiar with Forify?) by the end of my first year there. Having survived the startup years and multiple acquisitions and spin-merges, I became accustomed to wearing multiple hats (mostly white): that of a researcher, developer, sales and customer support engineer, tester, build engineer, conference presenter, blogger, team lead – you name it. But 14 years ago, another hat (and, arguably, the most important one) was added to my collection – that of a parent. On top of everything that comes with becoming a parent, 7 years ago my husband and I discovered that both of our children were neurodivergent, and in different ways – autism and dyslexia.
In this session, I would like to share our story in hopes of providing a glimpse of what it’s like to be a working professional parenting two differently wired individuals. I’d like to talk about my transformation from the “let’s fix this deficit” engineer-driven mindset to seeing and accepting my kids for who they are, from stressing out about the end result to valuing and enjoying the process. I want to talk about how much I had to educate myself – heck, I am pursuing a doctoral degree in cognitive diversity – and how much my view of education has changed as a result of my nearly transcendental transformation. In these short 30 minutes, I will go over the challenges we’ve faced, the solutions we’ve chosen, the things my kids have taught me, and the ways my company, and especially my manager and colleagues, have shown their support.
Neurodiversity, just like gender, racial, mental health, and harassment issues, deserves to be talked about. So, here I am, putting on another hat – that of a neurodiversity ambassador – in hopes of spreading awareness and acceptance of differently wired individuals at home, at school, and in the workplace.
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3:35 pm - 4:10 pm ET 7:35 pm - 8:10 pm UTC | Lightning Talks Kevin Bailey, Neurodivergent Life Coach, Consultant, and Speaker, Beyond Knowing Academy 2:35-2:45 | Kevin Bailey Overwhelmed to Hyperfocus: How to transition from feeling overwhelmed to achieving hyperfocus in 45 minutes or less The neurodivergent nervous system (ADHD and Autism) is highly susceptible to becoming overwhelmed, as it has a more rigid and heightened stress response. However, many stress reduction strategies focus primarily on theoretical approaches like mindfulness and exercises, lacking a practical step-by-step toolkit. This simple 5-step process is designed to be used in moments of stress, helping neurodivergent individuals transition from feeling overwhelmed to achieving hyperfocus in 45 minutes or less:
1. Recognize when your nervous system is in a state of hyper or hypo arousal.
2. Regulate your overwhelmed nervous system using powerful stress-reducing tactics to quickly regain control.
3. Rewrite unhelpful stress stories to reframe your brain's perception of threats.
4. Reduce the demands on your to-do list through simple prioritization and delegation techniques.
5. Remake your tasks to facilitate productive hyperfocus.
Sources: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-011-1214-0
(Spratt et al., 2011).
(Fenning et al., 2019) 2:45-2:55 | Joy Toney Supporting Thinking outside The Box- Allyship for neurodiverse colleagues Attendees will learn about the various types of neurodiversity, the 7 types of allyship, and how to create a more supportive work environment for our neurodiverse colleagues so they know they belong. 2:55-3:05 | Justin Merhoff Inclusive Cybersecurity: Bridging the Accessibility Gap for People with Disabilities Join Justin Merhoff of Deque Systems, Inc. as he explores the imperative of inclusive cybersecurity. In today's digital age, where cybersecurity is paramount, ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities is a challenge we must confront. This talk delves into the strategies and solutions advocated by Justin Merhoff, shedding light on how cybersecurity can be made more accessible. Together, we will investigate the significance of inclusive design, assistive technologies, and the policy considerations required to create a digital world that is secure and accessible to all, without exception. Be part of this enlightening discussion to discover how we can collectively build a more secure and accessible digital world! 3:05-3:15 | Laura Farvour Gate's Open, Come on In: Inclusive Hiring in Cybersecurity We know neurodivergent folks love spectrums -- heck most of us are on one spectrum or another! In this talk, Laura and Chris will share a spectrum they developed themselves -- The Spectrum of Inclusive Hiring! *gold star emoji* This model was developed for a talk of the same name given in December 2023 at the Minnesota GovIT Symposium. The Spectrum of Inclusive Hiring slides from 'exclusive' on one end to 'inclusive' on the other. While exploring this spectrum, Laura and Chris will share stories about themselves or folks they've led that inspired particular measure points or recommendations being added to the spectrum. They will share how these stories also taught them tools, skills, and actions they could take as an individual, team, or organization to increase hiring inclusivity. We hope attendees will be inspired to get curious about The Spectrum of Inclusive Hiring, take a look at their organization's existing hiring practices, and consider which recommended actions they could take to move their organization's hiring process towards greater inclusivity.
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4:15 pm - 4:30 pm ET 8:15 pm - 8:30 pm UTC | Break |
4:30 pm - 5:10 pm ET 8:30 pm - 9:10 pm UTC | Embracing Neurodiversity: Strategies for retaining and advancing neurodivergent employees in Cybersecurity Elizabeth Green, Occupational Therapist, CEO and Founder, Link Consulting LLC and Cyber Guild Only 4% of neurodivergent employees disclose their status, yet we know that at least 20% of the cybersecurity workforce is neurodiverse. This is a problem. Lack of disclosure indicates that employees do not feel psychologically safe nor trust their leadership. Without trust and psychological safety, employees are less productive and are more likely to leave. This session will analyze key components of the employee-manager relationship through a neuro-inclusive lens and share crucial insights into supporting neurodivergent talent.
At the end of the session, participants will be able to address how to:
- Communicate with clarity across diverse perspectives.
- Build flexibility into the work-day in ways that benefit all staff, as well as business priorities.
- Accommodate differences without hinging support on disclosure.
This session will be delivered by members of Cyber Guild’s Diverse Mind’s Movement (DMM) and facilitated by the Founder of Link Consulting, LLC. The session will be structured to be interactive and engage both employees and managers in dialogue using universal design and human-centered activities that include modeling neuro-inclusive strategies and centering the voice of neurodivergent speakers & participants.
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5:15 pm - 5:50 pm ET 9:15 pm - 9:50 pm UTC | The Autistic Advantage: Thriving in Cybersecurity Babbette Jackson, Senior Insider Threat and Data Loss Prevention Analyst, Edward Jones As an African American 28 year old female diagnosed with Autism in March 2022, I've discovered that the field of cybersecurity is not just a career path but a canvas upon which to display my unique strengths and navigate the challenges that often accompany my neurodiversity. In my role as a Senior Insider Threat and Data Loss Prevention Analyst, I've found that this profession provides an ideal platform for leveraging my innate abilities while embracing and accepting the aspects of my autistic traits that I've struggled with.
This presentation aims to challenge conventional hiring practices and shift the focus from seeking the "perfect employee" to recognizing the extraordinary potential of neurodivergent individuals. We'll explore how the traditional criteria for the ideal employee often overlooks the talents of those on the autism spectrum.
We delve into the untapped potential of neurodivergent talent, with a particular focus on the role of a cybersecurity analyst. Autistic individuals, often grappling with the social and mental fatigue of standard work environments, possess unique qualities crucial to this field. Attributes such as attention to detail, pattern recognition, logical thinking, hyperfocus, and integrity are not disabilities but distinctive capabilities that find their perfect match in cybersecurity.
Our discussion highlights how a career as a cybersecurity analyst can offer a profound sense of purpose to neurodivergent individuals, fostering confidence, financial independence, and a deep connection to one's self. By harnessing the diverse cognitive operating systems often seen as akin to different technology platforms, neurodivergent minds excel in identifying nuances and threats that may elude AI and machine learning.
Furthermore, we explore how neurodivergent problem-solving skills, driven by hyperfocus and insatiable curiosity, lead to multiple optimal solutions and unwavering dedication in tackling complex issues—qualities indispensable in the cybersecurity world.
But it's not enough to simply hire neurodivergent talent. The presentation underscores the importance of an inclusive work environment, accommodating needs, and providing necessary support and training, particularly for managers. By embracing neurodiversity and empowering individuals to focus on their strengths, we can usher in a new era of cybersecurity excellence.
Actionable Takeaways:
For Neurodivergent Individuals: Discover and embrace your unique strengths. Seek support networks and advocate for necessary accommodations to excel in your career.
For Supporters and Allies: Educate yourself about neurodiversity, offer support, and promote inclusive practices in your professional and personal circles.
For Hiring Managers and Companies: Revise hiring practices, provide training on neurodiversity, implement accommodations, and celebrate the diverse perspectives neurodivergent individuals bring to your organization.
Join us to challenge preconceptions, explore untapped potential, and learn how embracing neurodiversity can strengthen the cybersecurity workforce and enable individuals, like myself, to thrive on their own terms.
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5:50 pm - 6:00 pm ET 9:50 pm - 10:00 pm UTC | Wrap-Up |