The Importance of Media Psychology in Cybersecurity

"Cyber threats are not only ominous and real, affecting millions of citizens, but growing in sophistication and frequency. Cybersecurity breaches often target human vulnerabilities. Media psychology, particularly the study of how and why people perceive, process, and act on digital information—offers key insights into why individuals fall for cyber manipulation."

"Cyber attackers frequently embed persuasion cues such as authority, urgency, and scarcity into their phishing messages. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the FBI discovered a spike in phishing emails impersonating corporate IT departments by having subject lines like 'Mandatory Password Reset-Action Required Immediately.' Attempts such as this use the appeal of authority and urgency to increase user compliance."

"Media psychology postulates that attention is limited and also easily disrupted. Attackers exploit moments of distraction by creating strategic multitasking. For example, a Google/Jigsaw study found that users are twice as likely to click phishing links when cognitively overloaded with tasks and messages."

Cyber threats are growing in sophistication and frequency, affecting millions of citizens. Cybersecurity breaches often target human psychological vulnerabilities rather than just technical systems. Media psychology—the study of how people perceive, process, and act on digital information—provides critical insights into why individuals fall victim to cyber manipulation. Over 50 psychological theories apply to cybersecurity situations. Key theories include Persuasion Theory, where attackers embed authority and urgency cues into phishing messages; Attention and Cognitive Confusion, where limited attention is exploited through strategic multitasking; and Cognitive Bias, which shapes how people react to digital information. Understanding these psychological mechanisms is fundamental to designing effective cybersecurity protections.

Read at Psychology Today