Defending human, autonomous and hybrid intelligence against cognitive attack.
When your mind is the target, CSI is the defence.
The Cognitive Security Institute is a not-for-profit advancing the science and practice of cognitive security: protecting how people and intelligent systems perceive, reason, decide and act.
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As state and criminal adversaries increasingly exploit human behaviour, AI systems and the space between them, cognitive security has become a critical layer of modern defence.
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Our work spans three interconnected areas: human risk, cognitive warfare and neurosecurity.
A new threat surface demands a new discipline.
Cognitive attacks target judgement, attention, trust and decision-making.
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CSI brings together security leaders, researchers, defence professionals, policymakers and technologists to build the frameworks, evidence and practical capability needed to defend against them.
Our Mission
To defend human, autonomous and hybrid intelligence against cognitive attacks - enabling more resilient decisions and a genuine decision advantage.

Our Vision
To be the centre of science and practice for cognitive security, through rigorous research, continuing education and a global community of action.
Three Interconnected Areas
of Cognitive Security
Our work is focused where cognition is increasingly exposed: within organisations, across societies, and at the frontier between the human brain and emerging technology.
These challenges shape CSI’s three core areas of focus:
Human Risk
Strengthening how organisations understand and manage the human factors that shape security. Through SHIELD, CSI connects human risk practitioners across the globe and advances more human-centred approaches to security culture, behaviour and resilience.
Cognitive Warfare
Examining how adversaries seek to influence what people believe, whom they trust and how they act. CSI advances the research, frameworks and defensive capabilities needed to identify and counter influence operations, information manipulation and AI-enabled cognitive threats.
Neurosecurity
Preparing for the security risks created by neurotechnology, brain-computer interfaces and neural data. CSI explores how these technologies could affect cognitive autonomy, privacy and the future relationship between humans and machines.
How We Create Impact
Community
A global network of practitioners, academics and defence professionals working at the intersection of cognition, AI and security. Our communities include SHIELD, focused on human risk, alongside flagship events including CognectCon and the Cognitive Security Conference.
Research
We develop the foundations of cognitive security, including the Cognitive Attack Taxonomy (CAT), AI Cognitive Defence for Organisations, human-autonomy teaming frameworks and research published through the Cognitive Security journal.
Education
Practical learning and resources that help individuals and organisations build cognitive resilience, strengthen threat analysis and design security around people.







