About The Project

Digitalization affects ever aspect of human lives. There are weekly, if not daily news bulletins on major data breaches of small, medium and large enterprises. Studies show that 3 out of 4 SME’s have experienced at least one major cyber attack in the last year (Accenture, 2019).

Traditionally, cybersecurity has been viewed as a technical problem, for which software and hardware solutions were key. However, in recent years, the focus has moved from the technical to the human aspect of cyber security. People are more and more considered ‘the weakest link’, or light-heartedly referred to as PEBCAK (problem exists between chair and keyboard).

With human error and cyber attacks aimed at individuals rather than machines becoming every-day occurences, there is a strong need to solve cybersecurity issues on this level. Coming from a programming background, computer scientists usually aim to solve these weaknesses in the architecture of software. However, a piece of software can ask for a strong password, but if the employee who needs to create the strong password, writes it down on a post-it that is left on his desk, the ‘improved’ software security is easily becoming obsolete.

Instead of trying to solve human problems with technological solutions, or reinventing the wheel, a better solution is to look at existing scientific knowledge and work with experts on human behaviour. Knowledge in the field of psychology can create a more effective awareness campaigns, improve compliance with security policies through tried and tested behavioural change interventions, and train people in detecting social cyber attacks through the use of existing knowledge in the cognitive psychology domain. The collaborations lead to improved individual cybersecurity, safer organisations, and a better functioning (international) society.

To achieve this, working with psychologists is key as they are trained to describe, understand and solve human behaviour issues. By bringing psychologists into the cybersecurity field, they can apply existing psychological theories and best practices to cybersecurity problems, as well as develop new psychological theories on the specifics of cyberattacks and cyber resilience.