Dr. Mary Aiken

Dr. Mary Aiken serves as Chair and Professor of the  Cyberpsychology Department. She holds a Ph.D. in Forensic Cyberpsychology. Professor Mary Aiken is a world leading expert in Cyberpsychology—the study of the impact of technology on human behavior—and is a Professor of Forensic Cyberpsychology in the Department of Law and Criminology at the University of East London. Dr. Aiken is a member of INTERPOL's Global Cybercrime Expert Group and an Academic Advisor to Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3). She is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine, Global Fellow at the Washington DC Wilson Center, a member of the Medico-Legal Society, an International Affiliate Member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a Fellow of the Society for Chartered IT Professionals.

Dr. Aiken is recognised as an international expert in policy debates at the intersection of technology and human behavior. In 2013 she co-led a White House research team focused on tackling Technology-Facilitated Human Trafficking. In 2016 she was named as one of the top 50 most inspiring women in technology in Europe. In 2017 she was inducted into the Infosecurity Europe Hall of Fame, in recognition of her contribution to the information and cybersecurity sector. In 2019 and 2021 she was named in the top 50 women in GovTech in the Asia Pacific region. She has acted as an expert advisor to the UK government Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), reports on online safety technologies (SafetyTech). Professor Aiken served as co-lead on a one of the largest European cybercrime research projects to date investigating human and technical drivers of cybercrime, supported by INTERPOL, Europol, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). In 2022, she was awarded "Freedom of the City of Dublin" for her work in cyberpsychology, online safety and cybersecurity. In 2025, she was ranked #1 in the Top 10 Female Cyber Security Speakers official rankings list.

Dr. Aiken's work as a Cyberpsychologist inspired the CBS primetime television series CSI: Cyber, where she was a producer on the show. Her  best-selling book The Cyber Effect was selected by the Times as a 2016 "Book of the Year" in the Thought category, and was listed in the top twenty science books by Nature, the International Journal of Science. A published, peer-reviewed author, Dr. Mary Aiken's work has been featured by Time Magazine, Scientific American, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, NPR, Inside Edition, Scientific American, The Washington Post, New York Times, Sunday Times, The Guardian, Hollywood Reporter, Politico, CBS and the BBC.           
 

Areas of Expertise

• Cyberpsychology
• Psychology of AI
• Forensic Cyberpsychology
• Active Cyber Defense
• Human Factors in Cybersecurity
• Cybercriminology
• Cyber Behavioral Profiling
• Trust & 'Safety Tech'
• Cyberchondria

Education

• PhD in Forensic Cyberpsychology
• MSc (Honors) in Cyberpsychology
• BA in Psychology & Classics
• Diploma, Forensic Psychology

Professional Achievements

• Professor of Forensic Cyberpsychology in the Department of Law and Criminology at the University of East London
• Associate Professor Geary Institute for Public Policy University College Dublin
• Director of the Cyberpsychology Research Center, Institute of Leadership, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Professional Honors and Awards

• 2022: Awarded Freedom of the City of Dublin
• 2020: Awarded 'Doctor Honoris Causa' by University Politehnica of Bucharest for contribution to science, technology and cyberpsychology.
• 2019: Top 50 women in GovTech in the Asia Pacific region
• 2017: Inducted into the Infosecurity Europe Hall of Fame
• 2016: "Inspiringfifty" Top 50 most inspiring women in technology in Europe
• 2013: Inaugurated into SameShield an organisation that honours women’s leadership in traditionally closed professions
• 2012: Member of the INTERPOL Specialists Group for Crimes against Children.

Organizations & Affiliations

• Member Europol Advisory Group on Research & Development
• Member of the INTERPOL Global Cybercrime Expert Group
• International Affiliate Member of the American Psychological Association (APA)
• Strategic Advisory Group Member—Paladin Capital Group (VC) Global Cyber Fund
• Global Fellow Washington DC Wilson Center
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine
• Fellow of the Irish Computer Society (FICS)
• Research Fellowship Criminology Middlesex University UK
• Network Science Sensemaking Fellowship—IBM Network Science Research Center

Volunteer/Service Experience

• Member of the Advisory Board of The Hague Justice Portal and the Peace, Justice and Security Foundation - The Hague.

Research & Publications (Selective)

• Paladin Capital Group, PUBLIC, Perspective Economics, & Aiken, M.P.(2025). The International State of Safety Tech 2025. https://www.public.io/report-post/the-international-state-of-safety-tech-2025
• Aiken, M. P. (2024). Introduction to Cyberpsychology . Global Cybersecurity Forum https://api.gcforum.org/api/public/cms/files/980b7c0d-aae2-4029-8461-5d00b8c492e6_Intro-to-Cyberpsychology-Briefing-Paper.pdf 
• Martineau, M., Spiridon, E., & Aiken, M. (2024). Pathways toCriminal Hacking: Connecting Lived Experiences with Theoretical Explanations. Forensic Sciences,4(4), 647-668. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci4040045
• Aiken, M. P., Davidson, J. C., Walrave, M., Ponnet, K. S., Phillips, K., & Farr, R. R. (2024). Intention to Hack? Applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Youth Criminal Hacking. Forensic Sciences, 4(1), 24-41. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci4010003 
• Paladin Capital Group, PUBLIC, Perspective Economics, & Aiken, M.P.(2024). The International State of Safety Tech 2024. https://view.publitas.com/public-1/international-state-of-safety-tech-report-24/page/1
• Davidson, J., Aiken,M.P, Gekoski, A., Netuveli, G., Farr, R. and Deac, A. 2024. Understanding Adolescent Criminal and Risky Online Sexual Behaviors in the Context of Mental Health and Well-Being: Findings from a Multi-National European Cybercrime Study. Victims & Offenders. p. 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2024.2408675
• Rich MS, Aiken M.P. (2024) An Interdisciplinary Approach to Enhancing Cyber Threat Prediction Utilizing Forensic Cyberpsychology and Digital Forensics. Forensic Sciences; 4(1):110-151. https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6756/4/1/8
• Lundie, M., Aiken, M.P., Amos-Binks, A., Lindke, K. & Janosek, J. (2024) The Enterprise Strikes Back: Conceptualizing the HackBot - Reversing Social Engineering in the Cyber Defense Context. Proceedings of the 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/1bb70e6b-e682-4240-b4b7-95e63fdbb654
• Martineau, M.; Spiridon, E.; Aiken, M. P. (2023) Comprehensive Framework for Cyber Behavioral Analysis Based on a Systematic Review of Cyber Profiling Literature. Forensic Sci., 3, 452-477. https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6756/3/3/32
• Paladin Capital Group, PUBLIC, Perspective Economics, & Aiken, M. P. (2023). The International State of Safety Tech 2023.https://view.publitas.com/public-1/international-state-of-safety-tech-report-2023/page/1
• Aiken, M. P.,  Davidson, J.,  & Moran, M.  (2025). Cyber Honey Pot to Chatbot Deterrence Prototypes: A Forensic Cyberpsychology Approach to Tackling Juvenile Cyber Delinquency and Criminality. Manuscript in preparation.
• Aiken, M. P., Davidson, J. C.,  Kirichenko, A., & Markatos, E.P. (2023). Human Drivers of Cybercrime in E.P. Markatos (Ed.), Drivers, Trends, and Technology Evolution in Cybercrime (pp. 51-92). CC-Driver. https://www.ccdriver-h2020.com/
• Davidson, J., Aiken, M. P., Phillips, K. and Farr, R. (2022). European Youth Cybercrime, Online Harm and Online Risk Taking: 2022 Research Report. London, United Kingdom Institute for Connected Communities, University of East London. https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/8v59y
• Phillips, K., Davidson, J. C., Farr, R. R., Burkhardt, C., Caneppele, S. &Aiken, M. P. (2022). Conceptualizing Cybercrime: Definitions, Typologies and Taxonomies. Forensic Sciences. 2 (2), pp. 379-398. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci2020028
• Aiken, M. P.,& Donaldson, S. (2022) "Safety Tech: Towards a Safer Nation" Paladin Capital Group. Washington DC https://www.paladincapgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/US_Safety-Tech_Market_Report.pdf
• Aiken, M.P., Farr, R., & Witschi, D. (2022)  Cyberchondria, Coronavirus and Cybercrime: A Perfect Storm in H. Aker & M.P Aiken (Eds) Cyberchondria, Health Literacy, and the Role of Media in Society’s Perception of Medical Information. IGI Global. https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/cyberchondria-coronavirus-and-cybercrime/293431
• Aiken, M. P., Donaldson, S., & Tinnelly, C. (2021). (rep.). Pathways to Online Hate: Behavioural, Technical, Economic, Legal, Political & Ethical Analysis. London, United Kingdom: University of East London. https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/8wzz3
• Aiken, M. P.& Amann, P. (2021) "The Cyber Blue Line" (Publisher Europol) https://www.europol.europa.eu/europol-spotlight/cyber-blue-line
• Aiken et al., (2021, in press) "Safety Tech: Towards a Safer Nation" Paladin Capital Group. Washington DC.
• Aiken, M. P. & Gawande, S. (2021). Nature, Structure and Science of Cyberspace: In S. Bhave (Ed.), Cyberpsychiatry Nagpur, India.
• Donaldson, S., Davidson, J., & Aiken, M. P. (2020) Safer technology, safer users: The UK as a world-leader in Safety Tech. Online Safety Technology Sectoral Analysis. Report prepared for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport UK. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/887349/Safer_technology__safer_users-_The_UK_as_a_world-leader_in_Safety_Tech.pdf
• Aiken, M. P. (2020) ‘The Social Diatribe.’ The Psychologist (33) https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-33/november-2020/social-diatribe
• Aiken, M. P. (2019). Life in Cyberspace. (European Investment Bank  'Big Ideas' series - Book 5) Kindle edition. European Investment Bank. https://t.co/lDe1dZauOy?amp=1
• Aiken, M. P. (2019, March). (Contributor to report by Northstar Research and Arm )Youth on Tech. Retrieved from https://t.co/MGZt6Yi4SC?amp=1
• Aiken, M. P. (2018, July 10) Manipulating Fast, and Slow. Retrieved from https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/manipulating-fast-and-slow
• Aiken, M. P. (2018, April 30) Mass Killing and Technology: The Hidden Links. Retrieved from https://debugged.wilsoncenter.org/mass-killing-and-technology-the-hidden-links-b434ba6825e1
• DeMarco, J.,  Cheevers, C.,  Davidson, J., Bogaerts, S.,  Pace, U.,  Aiken, M.P., Caretti, V.,  Schimmenti, A., & Bifulco, A. (2017) Digital dangers and cyber-victimisation: a study of European adolescent online risky behaviour for sexual exploitation. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 14 (1). pp. 104-112. ISSN 1724-4935 http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/24169/
• Aiken, M. P., Davidson, J., Amann, P. (2016) 'Youth Pathways into Cybercrime' (Report) Retrieved from https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-documents/youth-pathways-cybercrime
• Aiken, M. P. (2016). Develop and Thrive in a Real Life Cyberpsychology Career. In Zafar, R  (Ed.), The Internet of Women: Accelerating Culture Change  (Innovation and Change in Education) (283-286). Denmark: River Publishers.
• Aiken, M. P. (2016). The Cyber Effect. New York. Random House, Spiegel & Grau.
• Aiken, M. P. (2016, September). (Reviewer and contributor to the Royal Society Report  “Progress and Research in Cybersecurity Supporting a Resilient and Trustworthy System  for the UK”).  Retrieved from https://royalsociety.org/~/media/policy/projects/cybersecurity-research/cybersecurity-research-report.pdf    
• Haughton, C., Aiken, M. P., & Cheevers, C. (2015). Cyber babies. The impact of emerging technology on the developing child. Psychology Research. 5(9), 504-518. DOI:10.17265/2159-5542/2015.09.002    
• Aiken, M.P., & Berry, M. (2015). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Possibilities for Olfaction and Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy. Virtual Reality Journal. 19 (2), 95-109. http://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10055-015-0260-x/fulltext.html 
• Aiken, M.P., & Mc Mahon, C. (2014). The Cyberpsychology of Internet Facilitated Organised Crime, Europol Organised Crime Threat Assessment Report (iOCTA). Retrieved from https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/internet-organised-crime-threat-assesment-iocta
• Aiken, M. P., & Kirwan, G. H. (2013). “The Psychology of Cyberchondria and ‘‘Cyberchondria by Proxy’’. In A. Power & G. Kirwan (Eds.), Cyberpsychology and New Media: A Thematic Reader. Oxford: Routledge.
• Aiken, M. P., & Kirwan. G. (2012). “Prognoses for diagnoses: medical search online and “cyberchondria”.” BMC Proceedings. Vol. 6. No. Suppl 4. BioMed Central, 2012. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1753-6561/6/S4/P30
• Aiken, M. P., Kirwan, G. H., Berry, M. J., & O Boyle, C. A. (2012). “The Age of Cyberchondria”. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Student Medical Journal 2012; 5: 71-74 http://www.rcsismj.com/wp-content/uploads/RCSIsmj-Vol5-Cyberchondria.pdf
• Aiken, M. P., Moran, M., & Berry, M. J. (2011). “Child abuse material and the Internet: Cyberpsychology of online child related sex offending”. Report INTERPOL Global Learning Research Centre retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mike-Berry-2/publication/277774727_Aiken_Moran_Berry_2011/links/5572ff1508aeb6d8c017af5e/Aiken-Moran-Berry-2011.pdf

Portfolio/Personal Website 

• Dr Mary Aiken Research, Publications, Keynotes & Conferences