Josh Taylor

I study how attackers think. And how defenders can use that knowledge to fight back.

I’m a cybersecurity strategist, published writer, and doctoral researcher focused on the intersection of human behavior, AI, and security operations. My professional work spans security operations leadership, threat intelligence, and detection engineering. My research sits at the boundary between cybersecurity and cognitive science, investigating how adversarial decision-making patterns can be predicted, manipulated, and countered.

Research

My doctoral research focuses on adaptive asymmetry in adversarial cognition. the structural advantages attackers hold over defenders, and the behavioral patterns that can flip those dynamics. I study how cognitive biases influence both attacker and defender decision-making, how social engineering exploits predictable psychological triggers, and how deception technologies can weaponize those same biases against adversaries.

I’m currently preparing research for AMCIS 2026 and investigating reinforcement learning approaches to adaptive anomaly detection across cybersecurity, finance, and healthcare domains.

Writing

My writing translates threat research and behavioral science into actionable intelligence for security leaders. I’ve been published in:

  • Help Net Security, Social engineering psychology, economic uncertainty and cyber risk
  • Dark Reading, NASA cyber initiative analysis
  • Fortra, Conversation hijacking attacks, cyber resilience strategy
  • Unite.AI, AI as a dual-edged sword in cybersecurity
  • AI Journal, AI-driven reconnaissance, geopolitics of AI alliances
  • CTO Club, Adversarial Cognitive Engineering and proactive defense
  • Streaming Media, Malware delivery through pirate streaming platforms
  • Techstrong TV, Advanced phishing and social engineering (broadcast)

My focus areas include behavioral cybersecurity, attacker psychology, AI-enabled threats, social engineering analysis, and supply chain trust exploitation.

Professional Background

I lead security operations and bring hands-on experience across SOC management, incident response, threat hunting, detection engineering, and security program development. My work bridges the gap between operational security (the daily reality of defending networks) and the strategic research that informs where the field needs to go.

I hold an active security clearance and bring a military background that shapes my approach to discipline, structured analysis, and adversarial thinking.

What I’m Building

Security Unlocked is where my research, writing, and operational experience converge. This site publishes original analysis on emerging threats, behavioral cybersecurity insights, and the kind of strategic thinking that doesn’t fit into a vendor blog or a 280-character post. My goal is to make the behavioral science behind cybersecurity accessible to practitioners, leaders, and researchers who want to understand not just what attackers do, but why. And how to turn that understanding into a defensive advantage.

Connect: LinkedIn · X / Twitter · Email