[Air-L] Call for papers on Experimental Evaluations of the Human Factor in Cybersecurity

[Rosanna Guadagno]

Hi all,



The journal section I edit, Frontiers in Psychology, Media Psychology, has
an upcoming call for papers (due on 15/1/24) on the topic of Experimental
Evaluations of the Human Factor in Cybersecurity. Here is a link to the
call:
https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/56190/experimental-evaluations-of-the-human-factor-in-cybersecurity.
Below is the text of the call for papers. Please let me know if you have
any questions and I hope you submit!

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The current approach to cybersecurity is primarily focused on purely
technical measures, such as firewalls, antivirus software, and encryption.
However, this approach has proven insufficient in preventing social forms
of cybercrime and online fraud. Moreover, despite these technical measures,
users remain vulnerable to social engineering tactics, such as phishing and
pretexting. We need to understand the human component of cybersecurity to
develop effective interventions. Furthermore, the internet is completely
integrated into our lives, and its many benefits come with risks and
threats. For example, people may receive phone calls from someone claiming
to be their bank or receive text messages requesting money for various
reasons. In this special issue, we aim to promote experimental evaluations
that focus on the human factor of cybersecurity, with the goal of
developing evidence-based strategies to mitigate these threats.

The main objective of this special issue is to promote experimental
evaluations that focus on the human factor of cybersecurity. By doing so,
we hope to achieve a better understanding of the interventions that can be
implemented to reduce the susceptibility of users to cybercrime and online
fraud. Specifically, we aim to investigate the effectiveness of these
interventions and identify the building blocks that contribute to their
success.

In the face of the growing threat of cybercrime, it is important to
identify strategies that can prevent victimization without resorting to
overly cautious measures such as identifying all incoming emails as
phishing attempts or avoiding clicking on any links altogether, even
legitimate ones. We aim to explore the range of strategies available and
identify those that are most effective in slowing down the decay rate of
intervention.

Overall, this special issue seeks to contribute to the development of
evidence-based strategies to mitigate the human factor in cybersecurity.

To gain insight into ways to counter susceptibility to cybercrime and
online fraud victimization, the Human Factors in Cyber Security Experiments
research topic welcomes experimental studies. We aim to collect studies
that contribute to the design and development of countermeasures that will
lead to effective interventions that protect users from online attacks with
the goal/aim to make the internet a safer place.

We welcome empirical articles studying any of the mentioned or other
aspects of Human Factors in Cyber Security Experiments. We will also
consider theoretical articles that review advances or present interesting
and novel perspectives on the topic. Given the difficulties surrounding the
study of the phenomenon, we would also be interested in collecting ideas
about possible methodologies that could be applied to its investigation.
The submitted articles should fall within the following article types:

• Experimental studies (Original or Replication);
• Review studies (Mini, Systematic, Meta-analysis) investigating
experimental interventions;
• Hypothesis testing, Perspective, or Opinion when the focus is on
experimental testing.

---

Br,



Rosanna
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Rosanna E. Guadagno, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Persuasive Information Systems

University of Oulu
Google Scholar Profile
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-_0SgvoAAAAJ&hl=en>

Twitter: @Rosannaeg <https://twitter.com/RosannaEG>

Lab: OSIL <https://osilab.eu/>

Specialty Chief Editor in Media Psychology, Frontiers in Psychology
<https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/sections/media-psychology>

Associate Editor, Frontiers in Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology
<https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/sections/personality-and-social-psychology>