Users Are Not Stupid: Six Cyber Security Pitfalls Overturned

The skilled and dedicated professionals who strive to improve cyber security may unwittingly fall victim to misconceptions and pitfalls that hold other people back from reaching their full potential of being active partners in security. These pitfalls often reflect the cyber security community’s dependence on technology and failure to fully appreciate the human element. This paper offers cyber security professionals a primer so they can recognize and overcome six human element pitfalls in cyber security. In addition to gaining an awareness of these pitfalls, readers will learn about specific strategies on how to improve cyber security and empower users by addressing the human element in their organizations’ cyber security products, processes and policies.