Human factors (HFs) play a primary role in cybersecurity. They can either improve the efficiency of security measures or produce susceptibilities that hackers can exploit. Hackers manipulate human error, making an organization's digital content attackable. Employee behavior, decision-making, and communication are all conducive factors that can result in security breaches. In cybersecurity, the human element should be addressed and addressed. Therefore, it's crucial to acknowledge the value of human factors and take integral steps to diminish the associated risks. It is necessary to reduce the hazard of such occurrences to safeguard an organization from data breaches and conserve its reputability and financial security. This protects sensitive data, secures unauthorized access, and prevents malicious performers. This chapter highlights the significance of the human factor in cybersecurity and urges us to take it seriously.
Top1. Introduction
In the current digital world, the security of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and their connected networks against cyber intrusions is necessary. These devices include automated home appliances, monitoring equipment, industrial sensors, smart locks, and autonomous vehicles. The risk of cyber threats continues to rise even when devices communicate over a secure network (Al-Bzoor, Ayyad, Alta’ani, & Telecommunications, 2022). While strategies are in place to safeguard IoT systems against cyber threats, new attacks emerge frequently, leaving these appliances vulnerable when connected to unrestricted networks, despite their protection, as shown in Figure 1. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) utilizes IoT in industrial and manufacturing sectors, connecting sensors, actuators, and autonomous instruments to establish an organized system that can predict potential errors and prevent system damage caused by various attacks (Anirudh, Thileeban, & Nallathambi, 2017). Smart machines anticipating system failures play a crucial role in the automated infrastructure and high productivity, lowering maintenance and operational costs.
Much attention is given to physical and technological safeguards like network security and encryption in cyber security. However, the human element is continually disregarded in the cybersecurity chain. Human factors are frequently considered static compared to other dynamic elements, causing a shortage of assurance on their role in the cyber security chain (Hassanzadeh, Modi, & Mulchandani, 2015; Rahman, Rohan, Pal, & Kanthamanon, 2021). Human factors persist as a serious origin of susceptibility. Therefore, it is crucial to value and recognize the importance of human factors in cyber security. This chapter delves into the influential contribution of the human element in cybersecurity by shedding light on how human factors play a vital role in the achievement or deterioration of security principles. A literature review of previous cybersecurity human-centric works is introduced in the next section. Section 3 addresses various types of cyber-attacks. Section 4 discussed that the human element is still involved in cybersecurity by identifying challenges associated with human factors in cyber risks. Finally, Section 5 concludes the work.