Psychology in cybersecurity
The psychology of cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary field studying how human behavior, cognitive biases, and social dynamics influence information security. While traditional cybersecurity focuses on hardware and software vulnerabilities, this discipline addresses human factors, which are exploited in cyberattacks and cybercrime. The study of psychology in cybersecurity draws from cognitive psychology and human–computer interaction, and it intersects with usable security and cyberpsychology.
For example, psychologists consider optimism bias, hyperbolic discounting, and behavioral economics as factors in people's decisions related to their information privacy.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ Wiederhold, Brenda K. (2014-03-01). "The Role of Psychology in Enhancing Cybersecurity". Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 17 (3): 131–132. doi:10.1089/cyber.2014.1502. ISSN 2152-2715.
Further reading
- Anderson, Ross (2020). Security Engineering: A Guide to Building Dependable Distributed Systems (3rd ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-1119642787.
- Cranor, Lorrie Faith; Garfinkel, Simson (2005). Security and Usability: Designing Secure Systems that People Can Use. O'Reilly Media. ISBN 978-0596008277.
- Schneier, Bruce (2015). Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World. Wiley. ISBN 978-1119092438.
- Singh, Tarnveer; Zheng, Sarah Y. (2026). The Psychology of Cybersecurity: Hacking and the Human Mind. Routledge. ISBN 978-1041005704.
- Sachs, Dustin S. (2025). Behavioral Insights in Cybersecurity: A Guide to Digital Human Factors. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1032998268.
- Hadlington, Lee; Ryding, Chloe (2025). Human Factors and Cybersecurity: The Psychology of Online Safety and Security. Routledge. ISBN 978-1032831985.