Name
Eliminating the Blindspot in Cybersecurity: Human Factors
Date & Time
Thursday, March 4, 2021, 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Dr. Calvin Nobles
Description

This presentation will focus on eliminating the human factors training blindspot in cybersecurity. Russ et al. (2013) define human factors science as the optimization of system designs, human performance, and resiliency to unexpected events that promote a climate of enhanced risk management, continuous learning, the reporting of errors without fear of punishment, and documented errors that are used to enhance system functionality. Cybersecurity professionals are woefully uneducated on human factors, which impedes human factors in information security. Human factors in cybersecurity remain underexplored, undervalued, and misrepresented in extant literature (Nobles, 2018; Russ et al., 2013). Properly educating cybersecurity professionals on human factors can help improve system designs, enhance human-centered cybersecurity, increase human performance, reinforce human cognitive abilities, and resiliency to unanticipated errors or lapses (Russ et al., 2013). Most cybersecurity professionals believe that human factors pertain to security awareness training or human-enabled errors (Russ et al., 2013). Human factors enable organizations to improve poorly integrated systems, tools, and techniques to optimize operational effectiveness (Russ et al., 2013). Organizations depend extensively on technologies to force end-user behavior, which is a misnomer and misuse of technology. Proper human factors training for cybersecurity professionals should address the importance of leveraging human factors to optimize system designs and reduce the adverse effects on people and substandard implemented processes and practices. Effective use of human factors as science can eliminate human-centered designed problems and prevent organizations from investing in ineffective awareness training and technologies. Human factors training is essential to evaluating and redesigning systems, identifying solutions, and reengineering sustainable operations through a human-centered approach.
 

Session Type
Spotlight Session
Virtual Session Link
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