The Psychology of Cybersecurity

This book takes a fresh look at the underappreciated role of human psychology in cybersecurity and information technology management. It discusses the latest insights from practice and scholarly work on the role of cognitive bias and human factors in critical decisions that could affect the lives of many people.

Written by an experienced chief information security officer (CISO) and an academic with over two decades of lived experience dealing with cybersecurity risks, this book considers the psychological drivers and pitfalls of the four key personas in cybersecurity – from hackers and defenders, to targeted individuals and organisational leaders. It bridges state-of-the-art research findings with real-world examples and case studies to show how understanding the psychological factors in cybersecurity can help people protect themselves and their organisations better.

Full of advice on security best practices that consider the human element of cybersecurity, this book will be of great interest to professionals and managers in the cybersecurity domain, information technology, and governance and risk management. It will also be relevant to students and those aspiring to grow in this field.

Tarnveer Singh is an award‑winning Chief Information Security Officer with decades of security experience across a wide range of sectors. He is Director (Security and Compliance) at Cyber Wisdom Ltd, an Information Security and Compliance Consultancy, helping clients to address security threats affecting their business. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information Security and a Chartered IT Professional with the British Computer Society.

Sarah Y. Zheng, PhD, is a neuropsychologist investigating emerging crime and security risks from technological advances. Through her research, she helps organisations become more resilient to phishing attacks and improve people’s awareness of new (cyber)security threats. Before returning to academia, she developed AI applications and worked in data science for financial, retail, and government institutes. With her unique understanding of both people and technology, her mission is to protect the human element in technology.