For those few who may not know, Alan Turing was an autistic man who cracked the Nazi Enigma code and helped the country win World War II. The machine this man built was able to decipher enemy messages and is still recognized as the foundations of the modern computer that we use today.
Although Turing was not diagnosed as autistic when he was alive, his profile very much fits the bill of someone being on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It was Turing’s different approach to solving problems that ultimately allowed us to win the war, and many others that are diagnosed with ASD could also be capable of such exceptional technological expertise. Statistics suggest that there are more than 70 million people across the globe currently living with autism, with around 70 to 90 percent of them unemployed or underemployed.
This figure is quite surprising considering that almost half of people diagnosed with ASD have either an average or above average intellectual ability. So, it seems it’s more society that is failing rather than these people. Cybersecurity is an area of work that is largely understaffed, and at the same time, many people diagnosed with ASD are the perfect matches to fulfill these roles. Some firms, including Microsoft and Freddie MAC, have started to recognize this and have pilot programs in place for hiring autistic people.
But, still more is needed to offer employment for the amount of adults with autism. If a national approach is taken that includes a combined effort from public agencies, and other organizations than we can fill this gap in employment quite easily. Starting with L.A., Washington D.C., Seattle, San Francisco, and New York and building on existing networks is a great way to start.
By taking a step back and recognizing the achievements of some of the great minds of the past we begin to realize that none were perfect, but still great in their way. Like Turing for example, he pretty much won the war, yet in today’s standards would have been diagnosed with ASD. It just goes to show that great minds come in different forms and that none should be overlooked. And getting autistic people involved in cyber security is a great place to start.
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