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An F1 driver raising his arm in celebration. The text says: 'Built on resilience'

James Hadley, Immersive Labs: Helping McLaren stay cyber resilient off the track, so they can perform on it

Joe Bevan
Originally authored by: James Hadley Published by: Joe Bevan
Posted: Friday, December 10, 2021 - 11:49

In Formula 1, optimizing team performance based on data is crucial to getting ahead. Engineers continuously refine the balance of a car, pit crews strive to shave milliseconds from a pit-stop, drivers practice and prepare for every on-track decision and maneuver. It is the difference between winning and losing.   

The same can be said for cybersecurity. Informed by a continual stream of threat data, everyone from front-line security teams to executives needs to adapt and respond to ensure resilience. Both must continually optimize knowledge, skills and judgment. Both find power in teamwork. 

That is why McLaren has chosen Immersive Labs as its official partner to support cyber workforce optimization. 

Looking at everything Immersive Labs has learned working with some of the world’s largest companies, there are a number of factors that make this a great partnership. 

First and foremost, the importance of teamwork across the entire organization. Cyber resilience is no longer solely the responsibility of the geeks in the basement; cyber risk affects multiple business areas, making organization-wide knowledge, skills and judgment vital. In F1, highly trained experts from many different specialisms must work alongside each other, as one, to get ahead. The sum is greater than the parts.    

Second, the importance of data and measurement. F1, as with cyber risk, requires a real-time picture of a situation that can change in a split second. The team armed with the most up-to-date understanding of where their capabilities lie is the one that can adapt more effectively. 

Finally, a melding of people, technology and data to refine decision-making at pace and under pressure. Whether navigating the chicane at Monaco or the twists and turns of a ransomware attack, cognitive agility is crucial to performance. 

McLaren has a legacy of great teams who have propelled great drivers such as Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton to success. Working with them to optimize their human cyber capability is something that we don’t take lightly.     

As the team’s official cyber workforce optimization partner, Immersive Labs will play a key role in the continual refinement of human cyber capabilities at McLaren. Continuously testing, analyzing and improving the knowledge, skills and judgment of the team will help them stay cyber resilient off the track, so they can perform on it. 

After all, being out in front is the only thing that matters.

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About the author

James Hadley is the CEO of Immersive Labs, a cybersecurity firm based in Bristol