Neurodiversity: The key to smarter cyber and social value
Guest blog by Rob Demain, CEO and Founder, e2e-assure #techUKSocialValueWeek
Rob Demain
CEO and Founder, e2e-assure
As the UK moves toward a more inclusive and resilient digital future, the conversation around social value in tech is becoming more impactful than ever - particularly in cyber security.
At e2e-assure, we believe social value isn’t something you bolt on to meet policy requirements, but instead it’s something you build into your business from day one. For us, that means focusing on neurodiversity, not only as a diversity initiative but as a strategic imperative to innovate faster than threat actors and solve challenges in ways that conventional thinking can’t.
Why Neurodiversity Matters in Cyber Security
With the rise of AI-driven attacks, persistent threats, and increasingly complex digital environments, the skills needed to keep organisations secure are changing just as fast.
We know the industry faces a long-standing cyber skills shortage, and we’re not going to close that gap by hiring the same kind of people with the same kind of thinking. That’s where neurodiverse talent comes in — offering different ways of thinking, unique problem-solving approaches, and critical skills like hyperfocus, pattern recognition, and creative logic.
We’ve frequently found that neurodivergent professionals ultimately excel in cyber security roles — from threat analysis and vulnerability scanning to red-teaming and SOC operations. These roles demand the kind of attention to detail and lateral thinking that our neurodiverse team members naturally bring to the table.
Meet the Team
Introducing James Sinclair, one of our dedicated SOC analysts. His ADHD gives him the ability to hyperfocus on complex issues which is something that’s proved essential in identifying subtle malware threats.
Within our commercial team, we also have Damian Scully, our Business Development Manager, whose neurodivergent perspective helps connect the dots across departments, ensuring our services aren’t just technically effective but truly align with customer needs.
Yes, neurodiverse professionals bring “diversity”, but more fundamentally they bring business-critical value. At the end of the day, it’s on us as employers and tech providers to ensure our hiring practices, environments, and leadership pipelines support them to excel.
Building Inclusion into the Model
At e2e-assure, we’ve built neurodiversity inclusion into our hiring and workplace practices — and it’s paying off. Currently, 10% of our team identifies as neurodiverse, and we’re continuing to grow that number through deliberate and mission-led hiring.
We’ve partnered up with organisations like Autism Plus and IASME Consortium to make cyber careers more accessible. This includes offering part-time and flexible roles, adapting interview formats, and creating psychologically safe environments where all minds can thrive.
We’ve also developed mentoring programmes, neurodiversity resource groups, and flexible training pathways that support a variety of learning styles which are especially important in a field where constant upskilling is required to keep up with threats.
Aligning With Government’s Social Value Priorities
Our approach directly supports the Government’s goals around inclusive economic growth, tackling workforce inequality, and delivering long-term resilience in public sector supply chains (learn more about our Public Sector focus, here.)
Through our central government contracts, we don’t just “talk” about social value. We demonstrate it by embedding diverse talent into real frontline cyber defense roles and by improving the long-term employment prospects of people who are too often overlooked in traditional hiring pipelines.
Social Value as a Strategic Advantage
There’s a tendency to view social value as a “nice to have” or a tick-box exercise to win bids. We see it differently.
Cyber security demands innovation, creativity, and unconventional thinking - exactly the traits many neurodiverse individuals offer. By investing in this talent pool, we’re not just creating opportunities; we’re building stronger defenses, smarter teams, and a more resilient future for the organisations we protect.
What’s Next?
We believe the tech industry needs to go further in embedding inclusion into how we build solutions, structure teams, and define success. That means:
Designing hiring processes that don’t exclude talent due to outdated expectations
Creating spaces where all kinds of minds feel safe, supported, and valued
Championing neurodiverse leadership and ensuring diverse voices are shaping strategy
And most of all, recognising that social value and cyber resilience are not mutually exclusive — they’re tightly intertwined.
techUK's Central Government Campaign Week 2025 – Social Value Week
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Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.
Prior to joining techUK in April 2022, Heather worked in the Economic Policy and Small States Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat. She led the organisation’s FinTech programme and worked to create an enabling environment for developing countries to take advantage of the socio-economic benefits of FinTech.
Before moving to the UK, Heather worked at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the Central Bank of The Bahamas.
Heather holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from LSE, and a BA in Economics and Sociology from Macalester College.
Ellie joined techUK in March 2018 as a Programme Assistant to the Public Sector team and now works as a Programme Manager for the Central Government Programme.
The programme represents the supplier community of technology products and services in Central Government – in summary working to make Government a more informed buyer, increasing supplier visibility in order to improve their chances of supplying to Government Departments, and fostering better engagement between the public sector and industry. To find out more about what we do, how we do this and how you can get involved – make sure to get in touch!
Prior to joining techUK, Ellie completed Sixth Form in June 2015 and went on to work in Waitrose, moved on swiftly to walking dogs and finally, got an office job working for a small local business in North London, where she lives with her family and their two Bengal cats Kai and Nova.
When she isn’t working Ellie likes to spend time with her family and friends, her cats, and enjoys volunteering for diabetes charities. She has a keen interest in writing, escaping with a good book and expanding her knowledge watching far too many quiz shows!
Yaroslava, a Junior Programme Manager at techUK's Central Government Programme, blends a decade of international and local Marketing and Business Development expertise with insights from Public Policy gained within a London economic consultancy.
This combination, coupled with her fluency in five languages and linguistic university background, enables her to drive impactful collaborations between the technology supplier community and the UK government, bringing a nuanced global perspective to engagement.
Outside of work, she is an exhibiting artist and leads Art for Wellbeing initiatives, reflecting her commitment to making a tangible difference, particularly through humanitarian aid for Ukraine, where she is from.
Junior Programme Manager - Central Government, techUK
Charles Bauman
Junior Programme Manager - Central Government, techUK
Charles Bauman is a Junior Programme Manager in the Central Government Programme at techUK.
He supports the programme’s mission to represent the technology supplier community to the UK government and advocate for digital innovation to address public sector challenges. Charles helps facilitate market engagement, foster partnerships, and ensure that tech suppliers and the government work collaboratively to improve outcomes, deliver value for money, and enhance public services for citizens.
Before joining techUK, Charles gained significant experience in research, analysis, and strategic advisory roles. At H/Advisors Cicero, he specialised in public affairs and corporate communications, while at Verdantix, he supported sustainability research and advisory projects, focusing on regulatory and environmental challenges.
Charles holds an MSc in Theory and History of International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and an MA in Medieval History from King’s College London.
Charles enjoys volunteering with a think tank, reading, hiking, and spending time with his dog and family outside of work.
Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Tracy Modha
Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Tracy supports the marketing of several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Central Government, Cyber Resilience, Defence, Education, Health and Social Care, Justice and Emergency Services, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.
Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!
Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!
techUK's Social Value Week was a testament that technology is already a transformative force in its own right—reshaping how we live, work, and connect. Layering social value onto that inherent power doesn’t replace it; it amplifies it, unlocking an additional dimension of positive impact for communities and society.