Immersive Labs’ Dr John Blythe on improving diversity in cybersecurity

“A common misconception is that psychology is mainly clinically related, so a lot of people believe psychology is just about mental health. But actually, you can apply psychology to any part of human life.”

Dr. John Blythe, Director of Cyber Workforce Psychology at Immersive Labs, spoke with myGwork about the intricacies of psychology and how they merge with an increasingly technology-dependent society. He also shared an insight into the current diversity issues the cyber security industry is facing, and what Immersive Labs are doing to tackle these issues.

The industry of cyberpsychology is a fairly recent line of work, evolving as a result of more companies and employees relying on technology in their day-to-day lives. Though the development of the internet and advancements in tech have allowed for improvements, such as convenient communication and easy access to business data, it has also created new security risks for private company information security and employee safety.

Organisations like Immersive Labs exist to combat these risks, applying an understanding of human behaviour and using it to educate organisations and their staff to protect against cyber threats.

It was this aspect of working in the industry – helping others – that inspired cyber psychologist John Blythe to pursue this career: “At university, I was always interested in how we can use psychology and science to better understand people, but also use that to help people as well,” he reflected.

This natural inclination of selflessness likely stems from his own experience growing up in less-than-ideal circumstances at school. A small-town school in County Durham, neglected by the government and plagued by low standards, was a rough place for John to grow up. His first experience of homophobia took place there, even before he realised his own sexuality. As a result, this caused him to suppress his identity until his early 20s. However, his experience at university differed, teaching him about community as he connected with students from various identities and backgrounds, helping open his eyes to feel confident in his own identity.

“I think when you‘re young and gay, you feel like it‘s just you against the world,” he said. “And it isn’t really until you make friends and sit in these community spaces that you actually appreciate that other people have lived that as well and that you can turn to them and have that community support.”

After coming out to family and friends and achieving a PhD, John considered this a “flourishing” stage of his life. Simultaneously, he began an extensive career in researching how people at work and at home stay safe online, even working for the UK Government before discovering the opportunities at Immersive Labs. On the company’s website, he came across information relating to the values held by the company, particularly inclusivity and allyship. This distinction, along with his natural interest in the work of the company, was a deciding factor in John’s application for the role.

“It was really interesting to read this at the outset of coming into the organisation. I think it just makes you feel heard, even just from seeing that, particularly as cyber security isn’t a very diverse sector as it is.”

With awards and nominations for “Best Place to Work in the UK” under their belt, as well as a variety of other accolades, Immersive Labs is being increasingly recognised for its inclusive and safe culture. In comparison to previous cyber security companies John has worked for, they appeared to be the first to genuinely care about progression and creating a safe space for their employees, rather than simply keeping up appearances.

“For many companies that I’ve worked with, inclusivity was often just a tick-box exercise,” he explained. “Change the corporate logo to reflect the pride flag in June and then they’re done for the year.” But at Immersive Labs, inclusivity is one of the main company values. Tracking diversity metrics, opening conversations regarding transgender inclusion, and showing a keenness to constantly improve standards are just a few ways Immersive Labs is excelling in this area.

John is also keen to share recent research by the government into the inclusive culture in the broader cybersecurity industry. Discussing how this line of work is typically led by straight white men in senior roles, he is aware that there is a long journey ahead in achieving true diversity and equality in this industry.

“Seventy percent of people feel that they are able to be themselves at work in cyber security, but one in five experienced discrimination in the last year,” he revealed. “And what else I thought was interesting was 14% of gay and lesbian people in cyber security suffered an issue of discrimination compared to just 1% of heterosexual people, so a lot of work still needs to be done here.”

When it comes to the future of LGBTQ+ equality and what John believes is the next step in progressing inclusivity, he is quick to show his support for the transgender community. He is acutely mindful of how ostracised the trans community are feeling in the current climate and the fact that gay people faced the same treatment by the media and general society not too long ago. John is adamant that gay men specifically should play a role in supporting and speaking up for trans people, especially with the increasing villainisation of the community by the media.

“In the last few years, there’s been quite an increased negative rhetoric around trans people and the way they’re being used as political fodder to distract from greater issues in society. I think it’s just disheartening.”

Beyond creating a safe environment for trans people to express their authentic selves, both in the workplace and in broader society, John hopes to see improvements in diversity in higher business roles generally. Though this journey may take a while, through perseverance and increasing confidence in people from all backgrounds and identities, he was optimistic that the future of diverse visibility is promising.

Immersive Labs is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQ+ business community. Find out more aboutjobs at Immersive Labs.