The Role of User Behaviour in Improving Cyber Security Management

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Information Communications Technology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Information security, now termed cybersecurity, traditionally resides in computer science and engineering.
• Cybersecurity is increasingly vulnerable to social engineering and cognitive hacking, exploiting human psychology.
• User behavior and psychological traits significantly influence susceptibility to cyber threats.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the value of behavioral science in bolstering cybersecurity defenses.
• To identify psychological traits and individual differences that create cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
• To explore psychological methods for improving user adherence to security policies.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing research on psychological traits and individual differences in computer users.
• Analysis of cognitive capabilities influencing users' ability to counter information security threats.
• Identification of research gaps in the psychological aspects of cybersecurity.

Main Results:

• Computer system users exhibit varying cognitive abilities impacting their defense against cyber threats.
• Psychological vulnerabilities are linked to individual differences and specific cognitive capabilities.
• Current research has gaps in understanding the psychological underpinnings of cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral science provides crucial techniques to enhance cybersecurity beyond traditional computer science approaches.
• Understanding user psychology is essential for mitigating social engineering and cognitive hacking.
• Implementing psychological methods can improve user compliance and overall network security.