Ryan works as a Human Factors (HF) specialist for Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ltd in Bristol, England; a systems and engineering technology company working across multiple industry sectors including defence, security, nuclear, transport and oil and gas.

 

Ryan’s interest in insider threat stemmed from extensive involvement in research programmes for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), focussed on targeting the ‘Green-on-Blue’ issue in Afghanistan. Over a number of years he led several research projects that helped to improve insider threat detection, control measures and training initiatives by focussing on the psychological, behavioural and socio-cultural factors that underpin insider threat motivation. The work redefined how the UK MoD understood the ‘Green-on-Blue’ problem through the application of HF and psychological expertise. Ryan developed a number of insider threat analysis methodologies for the MoD, with the wider programme of work being awarded a MoD Chief Scientific Award in 2015.

 

Since then Ryan has led the insider threat team in Frazer-Nash, which offers a range of ‘human-focussed’ analysis solutions to defence, security, banking and financial services clients. These have included the assessment of sabotage risks to a large UK Defence facility, the development of a concept entropy-based network monitoring tool and the provision of insider threat analysis services to a number of London-based banks. Frazer-Nash differentiates itself from other vendors in the industry by having no affiliation to software tools or commercial products. Instead, the insider threat team is focussed on enabling clients to understand the type, level and nature of insider threat within their organisation, to inform the subsequent development of holistic management programmes.

 

Ryan speaks on the subject of insider threat at various international defence and security conferences, industry events and military institutions, and has had articles and papers in publications such as Crisis Response Journal, Enterprise Risk magazine and the Centre for Security Governance. His article on ‘Stemming the Ripple Effect of Insider Threat Attacks’ was awarded the Resilience Essay Prize by the Royal United Services Institute in 2015. He is a keen musician, an intrepid traveller and loves splitting his time between bustling Bristol in the South West and rural Yorkshire in the North of England.