In the cybersecurity field, there are numerous different types of jobs, fields, and
responsibilities because defending a database is very complex and sophisticated. There
are security engineers, IT specialists, auditors, security administrators, and much more
because each job plays a big role in defending against cyberattacks. And because
cyberattacks are getting much more complicated by new viruses and malware being
created, cybersecurity is always changing with new patches and ways in getting rid of
newer malware. One thing to realize about working in the cybersecurity field is that it
could be a stress-inducing job if you’re dealing with a cyberattack. It is widely known
that if stress gets into your head, you won’t able to work efficiently as stress can block
your way of thinking and making crucial decisions. In order to fix this issue,
organizations have practices and performs drills to show a real-scenerio if a cyberattack
were to happen. This is used to show employees how to handle such an event
efficiently and effectively. However, not everyone will work the same way and some
could still feel a lot of stress while working to defeat a cyberattack.
Cyberpsychology is how technology impacts the psychological effects onto a
human, and feeling stress from a cyberattack is a part of that. “Cyberpsychology
includes multiple and intersecting disciplines such as human-computer interaction,
computer science, engineering, and psychology” (Ancis, pg. 1). Sometimes, employees
would feel both, physically and psychologically bad when combating an attack. This
includes but not limited to, lack of sleep, nutrition, anger, frustration, PTSD, having
suicidal thoughts, and serious illness (Mott, et al. pg. 11). After combating a
ransomeware attack, some employees were feeling these effects onto themselves. It is
surprising how cyberpsychology can play a huge role in human behavior during a
cyberattack event, where employees would be under stress and pressure to quickly
eliminate the threat that is impacting their databases.
The main problem with this is that only some people are capable of working
under stress or pressure, and there are that is incapable of doing so. This can be
because of past trauma or other significant factors that can disrupt someone working
under pressure. The only way to fix this issue, so that cybersecurity workers can be able
to work efficiently, is to find people who have a certain mindset. The security mindset is
a certain mindset where someone is very motivated enough to find flaws in a security
system. “The security mindset has also been described as in emotional terms as “a
peculiar mix of curiosity and paranoia that turns life into a perpetual game of asking
‘what if’ questions”” (Schoenmakers, et al. pg. 2). It a type of a curiosity mindset where it
makes you a better cybersecurity worker in trying to find problems in a security system
and it keeps you motivated to do that.
The basis of this is that all cybersecurity jobs play a role in defending against a
cyberattack, no matter how small the role may be. Not everyone is the same
psychologically, someone could have a mindset that fits well in the cybersecurity field,
while others may have different mindsets than organizations are seeking in workers. I
believe that there should be training or drills implemented in the organizations so that
they can teach their workers how to handle stress and other psychological factors, in
case of an actual cyberattack. You can argue that this may not work, because nothing
can prepare someone for the actual event, but a drill must happen so that workers can
know what the environment feels like in this kind of event and what to know about it.
References:
Schoenmakers, Koen et al., “The Security Mindset: Characteristics, Development, and
Consequences”, Journal of Cybersecurity, vol. 9, 1, 2023,
https://doi.org/10.1093/cybsec/tyad010.
Gareth Mott, et al. “‘There was a bit of PTSD every time I walked through the office
door’: Ransomware Harms and the Factors That Influence the Victim
Organization’s Experience”, Journal of Cybersecurity, vol. 10, 1, 2024,
https://doi.org/10.1093/cybsec/tyae013.
Ancis, Julie. “The Age of Cyberpsychology: An Overview”, Technology, Mind, and
Behavior, vol. 1, 1, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000009.