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Reflective interventions for cybersecurity: insights from a sociotechnical framework application and assessment
Neeshe Khan1, Sarah Sharples2, Robert J Houghton1
1University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Cognition, Technology & Work (Online)
|May 5, 2026
Summary
A new web tool helps organizations manage unintentional insider threats (UIT) by assessing their cybersecurity maturity. This sociotechnical framework intervention effectively changes planned behavior to improve security.
Area of Science:
- Cybersecurity and Human Factors
- Organizational Psychology
- Information Systems Security
Background:
- Unintentional insider threat (UIT) poses significant cybersecurity challenges for organizations.
- A prior sociotechnical framework with 45 elements across six pillars was developed to address UIT.
- Managing UIT requires understanding both technical and human elements within an organization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based assessment tool derived from a sociotechnical framework for managing UIT.
- To examine how the tool aids in reflecting on UIT challenges and planning future organizational responses.
- To assess changes in attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control regarding cybersecurity issues using the Theory of Planned Behaviour.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods study involving senior leaders engaging with a web-based assessment tool.
- Participants used the tool to assess their organization's maturity regarding the sociotechnical framework for UIT.
- Pre- and post-session semantic scales and semi-structured interviews were conducted, framed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour.
Main Results:
- Organizations recognize the value of informal peer structures and job-relevant individual development.
- There is a clear aspiration to enhance technical and sociotechnical defenses through investment in personnel and technology.
- The study identified areas for improving the assessment tool's inputs for future iterations.
Conclusions:
- The developed web-based tool, grounded in an empirically derived framework, serves as an effective intervention for modifying planned behavior against UIT.
- The approach demonstrates the utility of sociotechnical frameworks for organizational reflection and enhancing safety and security measures.
- Extending human behavior frameworks into practical tools can drive improvements in organizational cybersecurity.
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