The Biggest Security Talent Pool You’ve Never Heard Of

In this session, Mike Tozer unpacks the idea of cognitive diversity and shares practical case studies. The session will include practical tips and deep insights of what life is like with significant sensory processing challenges.

At a time where huge shortages in technology talent are projected to reach 3 million globally by 2022, businesses are searching for creative solutions. On the other hand, people with autism face huge employment barriers despite many having highly sought after skills. The UN estimates that 80% of the 125 million people with autism globally are unemployed or underemployed. Xceptional is a platform that enables autistic job seekers to demonstrate rather than articulate their strengths and matches them to employer partners. Xceptional has been working with several tech firms in Sydney over the past two years to bring about cultural diversity change in large IT firms and challenging the status quo to implement a new approach to security and other areas of IT. Mike Tozer will unpack the idea of cognitive diversity and share practical case studies from this unique work which has been recognized through $1 million from Google. The specific strengths that for some autistic people match to security roles will be discussed. The session will include practical tips and deep insights of what life is like with significant sensory processing challenges.