Page 11 - Cyber Warnings

they’re hired, this mentor turns into a coach to help them make a smooth transition into their
role.

It doesn’t work out every time. To assess whether applicants in its ASD program are a good fit,
Danish consulting company Specialisterne offers a multi-week training program that gives the
company the chance to see how the applicant handles work assignments. Their program was
crafted with understanding in mind. The company’s founder has a child with autism.

Building a neurodiverse workplace requires understanding that creating a welcoming workplace
doesn’t fall onto those with autism. It’s the responsibility of their coworkers, peers, and
managers — those without autism — to uphold an environment that fosters support, kindness,
and acceptance. Part of this should involve autism awareness and sensitivity training for
employees to educate them on how to make it easier for employees with autism to integrate into
the workplace.

SAP’s Autism at Work program has found great success; so far, 100 people have been hired for
IT positions of all kinds, including software testing, data analysis, and quality assurance. SAP
has launched the program globally, from the US to India to Brazil. The program’s success
challenges perceptions of what people with autism can achieve.

“The common prejudice is that people with ASD have limited skills and are difficult to work with.
To the extent that’s true, it’s a measure of our failure as a society,” Pelphrey told Wired. “[W]e
have clear evidence that job-focused training and support services, especially in the transition to
adulthood, can make a huge difference, leading to higher levels of employment, more
independence, and better quality of life.”

Employers can share in this success. Alan Turing helped to shorten a historically brutal war, in
large part because of his ability to think differently. Organizations need this kind of creative and
innovative thinking to advance in the IT and cybersecurity space.

If more tech companies are willing to accommodate people with high-functioning autism — by
adopting inclusive hiring practices and creating welcoming environments for neurodiverse
people — we may just find stronger and more innovative IT teams, better equipped to address
the complexities of cybersecurity.

About the Author
With 20 years of experience in the enterprise space, Xuyen Bowles now
oversees one of the most successful cyber security firms in San Diego,
CA. Sentek Cyber (a division of Sentek Global) offers a wide array of
cyber security protection from penetration testing, consultancy, training to
advance threat detection. "It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when." Ms.
Bowles finds great gratification in helping companies ensure they are safe from data breach.

11 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – June 2017 Edition
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