Our people
Darren Lawrence
Darren is the Managing Director of Artifice Ltd. He is also a Senior Lecturer in Behavioural Science in the School of Defence & Security at Cranfield University, based within the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.
Darren has worked in the field of psychological warfare since 2002. He developed and ran Cranfield’s postgraduate programme in Information Operations (Info Ops). Darren is the Head of the Information Operations Group, Course Director for the MSc in Cyber Operations, and Director of the National Cyber Deception Laboratory (see recent coverage of the lab in The Times). Prior to taking up his post at Cranfield University he was a Senior Applied Psychologist and Project Manager within QinetiQ (formerly DERA) specialising in Psychological and Information Operations.
Simon Henderson
Simon is our Associate Technical Director and a co-founder of Artifice. Before this he spent 24 years in the MOD and its commercial spin-off, QinetiQ, researching the psychological bases of sensemaking, decision-making, teamwork, influence and deception, in both military and civilian organisations. This was followed by six years researching and teaching influence and deception at Cranfield University at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.
Simon has spent over 15 years focusing on the study and application of deception, working on topics including: illusory presence; camouflage, concealment and decoys; design approaches for hiding in plain sight; inter-personal and inter-organisational deception; deception planning; counter-deception; the design and delivery of deception education; and deception and influence in cyberspace.
Please visit Simon’s blog to see his latest thoughts in this fascinating field.
The Artifice Story
Artifice have been delivering applied training in guile and cunning for 8 years. But it took us a while to get here…
The Artifice team were all originally Government scientists working in DRA, DERA, and QinetiQ. Initially, we led projects looking at supporting UK warfighters to work more effectively together.
Fifteen years ago we moved our research emphasis to how to retrofit those ideas to disrupt and pull down the adversary teams our customers faced. One by one we transitioned to academia joining Cranfield University’s Defence and Security School at the UK’s Defence Academy in Shrivenham.
At the Defence Academy we research and teach Masters level courses in: Cyber and Information Operations; Psychological and Information Warfare; and Military and Cyber Deception. Our international military student cohorts face unprecedented complexity in the operational theatres they are deployed to. Our mission is to support their professional practice at all levels of the fight.
The Artifice System for Deceptive Thinking
Generates creative solutions to challenging problems
Supports the conception of activities outside of the target’s ability to make sense of what is really happening
Facilitates thinking outside the knowledge, mindset, and imagination of the target
Combines insight, cunning, creativity, simplicity and elegance

The framework provides a more methodical approach than we currently use. Really breaking down the steps will help us to consider the problem more fully.”
US Course 2018
An exceptionally well-delivered system that provided new insights, rigour and structure to established planning methods. Course materials were clear, concise and invaluable to continued development of newly acquired skills.”
UK Course 2018
The knowledge gained in this course will absolutely be beneficial to enabling successful operations in cyberspace.”
UK Course 2020
Solid informative framework to use when developing operations by using detailed modelling and concise language. Will certainly have a major impact on my future work and simplification of ops planning.”
UK Course 2018
The Artifice System fills a void in current tools and techniques for adversary planning. I will use this in every element of leading my operational teams.”
US Course 2019
Awesome course! A must for Field-grade and Senior Commissioned Officers. Many applications in Strategic Planning and effective implementation of military plans. Well executed. Operational Commanders will need this training.”
US Course 2019
Exceptional course! Simply and smartly executed with direct application to multiple focus areas. This course will show you how brilliant and accessible influence and deception strategies can be applied operationally.”
US Course 2017
I consider myself to be a technical operator within the cyber effort. This course highlighted the need to examine the softer skillset of deception and its place in the wider effort.”
UK Course 2021