Users Are Not Stupid: Six Cyber Security Pitfalls Overturned

Published

March 16, 2023

Author(s)

Julie Haney

Abstract

The skilled and dedicated professionals who strive to improve cyber security may unwittingly fall victim to misconceptions and pitfalls that hold customers and users 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 article offers cyber security professionals a primer so they can recognize and overcome six human element pitfalls in cyber security. Each pitfall is supported by real-world examples or findings from human-centered cyber security research. In addition to gaining an awareness of these pitfalls, readers will learn about specific strategies for how they can improve cyber security and empower users at all levels by addressing the human element in their organizations' cyber security products, decisions, processes, and policies.

Citation

Cyber Security: A Peer-Reviewed Journal

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

cybersecurity, usability, usable security, human element, users

Citation

Haney, J. (2023), Users Are Not Stupid: Six Cyber Security Pitfalls Overturned, Cyber Security: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=935795 (Accessed September 14, 2025)