Stephen Ackroyd CSyP

Director @AvsecResilience • @IATA External Instructor • Former Royal Marines Commando • YouTube Channel (Usual caveats) 🚀

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

Too much time is spent searching for quality security CPD/CPE, and not enough time actually learning.

That’s why I’m sharing the Security CPD (CPE) Finder GPT designed to let AI handle the heavy searching across UK conferences, webinars, networking events, certifications, and industry activities, while security professionals decide what’s actually worth their time.

Yes, you could build your own GPT… but most people could also bake their own bread.

Link to the GPT tools: https://t.co/VJc20ROUVv

Why free? Because security professionals should spend time learning, not endlessly searching.

⚠️ Caveat: All information comes from third-party sources. The AI tool identifies opportunities but does not independently verify event accuracy, legitimacy, availability, or affiliations.

A GPT is an AI-powered assistant designed to help with specific tasks, knowledge areas, or workflows through natural conversation.

#Security #CPD #CPE #ProfessionalDevelopment #SecurityProfessionals #RiskManagement #CSyP

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

“Once in a blue moon” is one of those phrases we use without thinking about where it came from. 🌕🔵

Originally, it meant something impossible… then evolved into meaning something extremely rare. Today, it’s even linked to astronomy and the second full moon in a month.

Language evolves just like society, technology, and risk.

#BlueMoon #DidYouKnow #Language #History #Astronomy #Infographic

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

In a crisis, there is rarely a “perfect” decision.

The challenge is making the best possible decision with:
⏱️ limited time
📉 incomplete information
⚠️ high pressure
🌪️ rapidly changing conditions

Crisis decision-making can take many forms:
🚨 Reactive
🧠 Analytical
⚡ Intuitive
👥 Collaborative
🎯 Tactical
🛡️ Strategic
📋 Procedural
🔄 Adaptive

Strong crisis leaders often rely on:
👀 Situational awareness
🗣️ Clear communication
🧩 Pattern recognition
🤝 Team coordination
🎓 Experience and training
🧘 Calm under pressure

Common threats to effective decisions:
❌ Tunnel vision
❌ Information overload
❌ Fatigue
❌ Stress
❌ Poor communication
❌ Groupthink

In aviation, security, emergency response, and leadership environments, the ability to:
SEE clearly
THINK critically
ACT decisively

can directly influence safety, resilience, and outcomes.

The goal is not perfection.
The goal is effective action under uncertainty.

#CrisisManagement #DecisionMaking #Leadership #HumanFactors #SituationalAwareness #OperationalResilience #SecurityCulture #RiskManagement #AviationSecurity #EmergencyManagement

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

From docks to smart cities 🛡️
A journey of strength, innovation, and protection through time.
Discover how bollards evolved from simple mooring posts to advanced security systems shaping our streets today.

#Bollards #Security #History #Innovation #UrbanDesign #BuiltToProtect

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

Security culture is not a poster on a wall.
It is the everyday behaviours, decisions, and attitudes that determine how seriously security is taken across an organisation.

A strong security culture looks like:
✅ People speaking up
✅ Unusual behaviour being challenged
✅ Reporting encouraged
✅ Leaders setting the example
✅ Learning from mistakes
✅ Shared responsibility for security

A weak security culture often includes:
🚩 Complacency
🚩 Procedural shortcuts
🚩 “It’s not my job” thinking
🚩 Fear of reporting issues
🚩 Poor communication
🚩 Normalisation of deviance

Technology alone does not create resilience.
Culture does.

In aviation, security, critical infrastructure, and high-risk environments, culture directly influences:
🧠 Decision-making
👀 Situational awareness
⚠️ Threat detection
🤝 Team performance
🛡️ Organisational resilience

One weak behaviour repeated often enough can become “normal.”
That is where risk quietly grows.

Strong security cultures are built through:
✔️ Leadership
✔️ Psychological safety
✔️ Operational accountability
✔️ Communication
✔️ Continuous awareness and training

See it.
Say it.
Secure it.
Live it.

#SecurityCulture #Leadership #HumanFactors #OperationalResilience #AviationSecurity #RiskManagement #SituationalAwareness #SecurityManagement #BehaviouralScience #CrisisManagement

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

From “sleeping policemen” to smart streets 🚗💡
Speed bumps have been slowing us down (for the right reasons) for over a century.
A simple idea. A big impact. Safer communities everywhere.

#SpeedBumps #TrafficCalming #RoadSafety #UrbanDesign #Innovation

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

Hindsight is the smartest person in the room…
it just has a habit of arriving after the decision was made. ⏰

#DecisionMaking #Leadership #LessonsLearned

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

15 second time lapse

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

Long before modern Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, medieval castles were already using its core principles.

Moats, towers, walls, gatehouses, choke points, layered access, surveillance, and territorial control were all designed to:
• deter attackers
• control movement
• increase visibility
• delay intrusion
• strengthen defence

A castle was not just a building — it was an integrated security system built through environmental design.
Modern security architecture still uses many of the same concepts today.
#CPTED #Security #PhysicalSecurity #RiskManagement #Architecture #SecurityCulture #DefenceInDepth #Castle #MedievalHistory #SecurityDesign

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

Situational awareness is more than “paying attention.”

It is the ability to:
👀 Observe what is happening
🧠 Understand what it means
🔮 Anticipate what may happen next

In aviation, security, leadership, emergency response, and operations centres, strong situational awareness can mean the difference between:
✅ Early intervention
✅ Effective decisions
✅ Safe outcomes

…and:
❌ Missed threats
❌ Delayed reactions
❌ Escalating incidents

Situational awareness exists at multiple levels:
📺 Visual
🗺️ Spatial
🚨 Tactical
🌍 Strategic
👥 Social
💻 Digital
🤝 Team awareness

Common threats include:
😴 Fatigue
🎯 Tunnel vision
📱 Distractions
📈 Information overload
❌ Poor communication
🤖 Overreliance on automation

The challenge is not simply collecting information, it is interpreting the right information at the right time.

Strong situational awareness is built through:
✔️ Training
✔️ Experience
✔️ Communication
✔️ Scanning habits
✔️ Human factors awareness
✔️ Continuous learning

See it.
Understand it.
Anticipate it.
Act on it.

#SituationalAwareness #HumanFactors #AviationSecurity #SecurityCulture #Leadership #OperationalResilience #RiskManagement #CrisisManagement #BehaviouralScience #DecisionMaking

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

Attention is not unlimited.

It degrades over time especially in high-monitoring, high-pressure, and repetitive environments.

Attention fatigue can affect:
👁️ Threat detection
🧠 Decision-making
⚠️ Situational awareness
⏱️ Reaction times
📉 Operational performanceCommon forms include:
�� Vigilance fatigue
📺 Visual fatigue
📱 Digital attention fatigue
🔄 Task-switching fatigue
😴 Sleep-related fatigue
📞 Zoom / virtual fatigueThis matters across:
✈️ Aviation
🛡️ Security
🚨 Control rooms
💻 Remote operations
🎓 Online learning
🏢 Leadership environments
The challenge is not just technology, it is human cognitive capacity.
Strong organisations reduce attention fatigue through:
✅ Better workload management
✅ Micro-breaks
✅ Task rotation
✅ Training variation
✅ Human factors awareness
✅ Operational designHuman performance is part of security and resilience.
#HumanFactors #AttentionFatigue #AviationSecurity #SecurityCulture #OperationalResilience #Leadership #SituationalAwareness #BehaviouralScience #RiskManagement #CognitiveLoad

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

AI scams are becoming frighteningly realistic.

Before trusting a call, video, or “urgent” message:
• Slow the interaction down
• Verify identity independently
• Test for AI delays
• Watch for deepfake glitches
• Use humour/sarcasm to break scripts

If it feels rushed, pressured, or “too perfect” pause.

#CyberSecurity #AI #Fraud #Scams #Deepfake #SecurityAwareness

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

Two people can watch the same event, attend the same meeting, or face the same problem and process it completely differently.

That’s called cognitive preference: the natural way people prefer to think, learn, analyse, communicate, and make decisions.

Some focus on:
📊 Data and detail
🎯 Structure and process
🧠 Strategy and patterns
⚡ Fast decisions and action
Others focus on:
💡 Ideas and possibilities
👥 Emotion and atmosphere
🖼️ Visual understanding
🗣️ Discussion and reflection

In high-stakes environments like security, aviation, leadership, and crisis management, understanding different cognitive preferences can improve:
✅ Communication
✅ Team performance
✅ Decision-making
✅ Risk awareness
✅ Problem solving

Different thinking styles are not weaknesses — they are operational strengths when understood and combined effectively.
#CognitivePreference #Psychology #HumanBehaviour #Leadership #DecisionMaking #SecurityCulture #AviationSecurity #Teamwork #BehaviouralScience #CriticalThinking

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

Not everyone is motivated by awards, titles, or public recognition.

Some people value:
🏆 Achievement & visibility
Others value:
�� Purpose
📚 Growth
🤝 Trust
🔒 Stability
👥 Team connection
Great leaders recognise the difference.
The key question is not:
“Do they like awards?”
It is:
“What type of recognition feels meaningful to them?”
Recognition works best when it is personal, genuine, and aligned to what motivates the individual.
#Leadership #Motivation #RewardSensitivity #Psychology #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeEngagement #HumanBehaviour

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

Bookings are now open for the @ASIS_UK Chapter Summer Seminar 2026.
Join us at Fulham Pier for a full day of:
- Expert talks
- Panel discussions
- Interactive sessions
- Tabletop exercises
Including a practitioner-led discussion on Martyn’s Law and the key challenges shaping the security profession.

📅 11 June 2026
📍 Fulham Pier, London, UK
🎟️ Free for @ASIS_Intl (UK and overseas) members | £50 non-members
Networking overlooking the River Thames to follow.
Spaces are filling quickly - book your place now.
Link: https://t.co/gfZ5QyGGqy

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

Why do some people love live sport, fast-paced environments, alerts, competition, or high-pressure decision making?

Part of the answer may be something called reward sensitivity, how strongly the brain responds to excitement, achievement, anticipation, and positive outcomes.

From sport and gaming to investing and social media, reward systems influence motivation, focus, behaviour, and even risk-taking.

Understanding this can help explain:
⚽ Why live sport feels addictive
📈 Why some people chase high-pressure roles
🎯 Why achievement motivates some more than others
🧠 How dopamine and anticipation influence behaviour
#Psychology #HumanBehaviour #SportPsychology #Leadership #Performance #DecisionMaking #Dopamine #BehaviouralScience #Motivation #SecurityCulture

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

🧠 Cognitive Dissonance

Ever felt uncomfortable when your actions don’t match your beliefs?
That’s your brain trying to fix the mismatch 👇
⚡ What it is:
The mental tension between what you believe and what you do

👀 Example:
“I value health” → but eat junk food
“I should save money” → but overspend
🤯 What happens next:
Your brain reduces the discomfort by:
• Justifying it (“It’s not that bad”)
• Minimizing it (“Everyone does it”)
• Or changing behaviour (the best option)

⚠️ Why it matters:
• Shapes your decisions
• Drives your habits
• Can keep you stuck—or push you to grow
💡 Better approach:
👉 Notice the conflict
👉 Be honest with yourself
👉 Align actions with beliefs
#Psychology #SelfAwareness #Mindset #Growth

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

🚧 Defensive Decision Making Ever noticed people choosing the safest option instead of the best one?
That’s defensive decision making

📷 making choices to avoid blame or criticism rather than achieve the best outcome.

📷 Why it happens:
• Fear of mistakes
• Blame-heavy culture
• Uncertainty
• Responsibility without support

📷 The impact:
• Slower progress
• Less innovation
• Average results

📷#DecisionMaking #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #Productivity

[Stephen Ackroyd CSyP @AvKeep]

🍎 The Forbidden Fruit Theory

The more you’re told “you can’t have it”…
the more you want it.
🧠 This is called psychological reactance — our brain pushes back when freedom feels restricted.

👀 What it looks like:
• “Do not enter” = instant curiosity
• Strict rules → more rule-breaking
• Being told “no” → stronger desire

⚠️ Why it matters:
• Control can backfire
• Can trigger rebellion or resistance
• Impacts parenting, leadership & marketing
💡 Better approach:
👉 Offer choices
👉 Explain the “why”
👉 Focus on guidance, not control
#Psychology #HumanBehavior #Leadership #Mindset