Careers in cyberpsychology – in conversation with Jordon Kelly

Can you tell us about your education and professional background?

I was definitely one of those "why" children growing up, and as I got older, I became more interested in the "why" of people.

At A-level, I studied Psychology and Sociology with a healthy dose of philosophy and photography thrown in for good measure. It was this initial exploration of the human condition that lead me to read for a BSc undergraduate degree in Forensic psychology over a decade ago.

My areas of interest focused on extremism and radicalization across the ideological and political spectrum. During my research, I became interested in the collective known as "anonymous" and understanding the overlap between psychology and technology.

I graduated during a period of economic uncertainty in the UK and, at the time, struggled to find an organization and role that fit my personal and professional ambitions. Like many graduates, I had failed to recognize the perils and pitfalls of the job market and the difficulties of finding a role directly in the field of psychology.

I have had the opportunity to work in varying roles and sectors over the years, including local government, where I carried out the glamourous task of data collection and analysis. The creative industry, where I project managed the installation of creative arts projects in disused buildings in the city of Bristol, and a stint in retail, where I worked as a design consultant developing kitchen and bathroom spaces for customers.

Having spent a few years working, I returned to academia, applying for an MA in International Security, during which time I tailored my assignments toward the area of cyber security. Using a sociotechnical approach, I wrote my dissertation on the topic of the militarization of cyberspace and associative technologies and what this means for the future of warfare. I graduated with an MA distinction in 2018.

After completing my Masters, I joined The Information Security Forum as a cyber security research analyst developing white papers and reports for over 480 member organizations worldwide and was involved in a range of research projects. Most notably co-authoring a paper entitled "human-centred security: addressing psychological vulnerabilities", discussing how adversarial actors exploit the human factor in organizations' security.

I was the lead author on the company's flagship report, "Threat Horizon – exploring the threat landscape in the coming three years", identifying nine threats that organizations may face and how they could prepare.

Shortly before leaving this role, I released a research paper that was aimed at demystifying the topic of zero trust for business leaders and information security professionals and laid the groundwork for a change in the Threat Horizon report to reflect a scenario-driven approach to forecasting.

What are you doing now?

I currently work for Immersive Labs as a cyber crisis content specialist. While my role is quite diverse when it comes down to it, my main tasks fall into the areas of research and design.

I am part of a small specialist team within Immersive Labs that develops and creates content for our crisis simulation tool. We write dynamic scenarios intended to exercise the crisis management capabilities of organizations and build operational resilience in the face of cyber-attacks and other operational threats.

More recently, I have begun working with colleagues in our behavioural science team to develop a data-driven approach to crisis exercises that will allow organizations to grow their understanding of their current capabilities and further develop the knowledge and skills to better respond to and recover from cyber-attacks.

Alongside my full-time role at Immersive labs, I am also studying for an MSc in cyberpsychology. This is in part because I love learning, and this course adds another layer to my area of interest.

Having degrees that focus more on the intersection of technology and human behaviour will be invaluable going forward as digital technologies increasingly become a part of every area of our lives. Cyberpsychology not only brings me back to the "why" I have always been interested in but also what might change and how in the years to come.

What is the future outlook for the field of cyberpsychology?

I think we will see a growing number of cyberpsychology courses, content, and roles in the next few years. Cyberpsychology is just another layer to an already fascinating and important discipline.

Having a background in cyberpsychology will likely put you in a good position to understand the potential changes coming in the future and give you a strong foundation for some of the job roles we may soon see based on the emergence of new technologies and developments.

What are some of the key skills or qualities needed to succeed in this industry?

I think being able to market yourself in a way that makes you desirable to organizations is an invaluable skill.

Thinking of job adverts or propositions as problem statements and highlighting how you are uniquely placed to solve that problem is invaluable. This is especially the case in an industry like information and cyber security that is predominantly made up of technical experts. You have to be able to show how you add value.

I also think having a learning and development mindset, being curious and creative, and having an interest in solving problems are also key skills and qualities for most jobs but definitely for cyber-related roles.

What do you wish you'd known when you started your career?

That a career isn't a straight line, there are lots of twists, turns, and bumps along the way, but each one adds to your tool kit and leaves you better prepared for the next. Also, don't compare your career journey with other people as our differences make us more valuable than our similarities.

What is your advice for someone interested in a career in cyberpsychology?

Those with a background in psychology and now the specific area of cyberpsychology are increasingly sort after in a broad range of industries.

As companies increasingly undertake digital transformation programs and apply behavioural science to different areas of their business and products, we are likely to see a want to translate behaviours into return on interest.

Having a strong understanding of qualitative and quantitative methods will be really useful in this respect.

If you are interested in the field of cyberpsychology, some of the areas I would recommend looking into include:

• the impacts of new technologies on people's behaviour and how technology such as AI can be incorporated into clinical settings - particularly the mental health space. better understanding the advantages and dangers of new technology for vulnerable groups
• the continuing threat of disinformation and coercive technologies.

About the author

Jordon Kelly is a Cyber Crisis Content Specialist at Immersive Labs developing training and exercising content to improve the resilience of organizations and the workforce in the face of operational threats and cyber attacks.

He holds a BSc hons in Forensic psychology, MA Distinction in International security with a focus on cyber warfare and is currently studying for an MSc in Cyberpsychology.