A career in cybersecurity that requires professionals in that field to rely on social science principles and research are security managers such as project managers, admins, or risk managers. These professionals use many social sciences, including sociology, psychology, criminology, political science, and business. Managers have to direct their personnel to make the best product for their employer, which involves a lot of business jargon that requires economics and finance, as well as negotiating and debating on the best product for the consumer. They have to use aspects of psychology and sociology by looking at data research and surveys to see how people think and why they do what they do so that the product or service they manage can interact appropriately with ethical or unethical users. You look at social engineering, which manipulates people into disregarding information security. Having proper information literacy through psychological research will allow you to keep services secure and plan them better in the developmental process.
In conjunction with those two sciences, ethical practices fall under criminology and political science. They must understand the laws and politics behind their product and what they can allow or disallow individuals to do. You need to see and think like the unethical and ethical groups to make something legal and efficient. By managing a group of cyber security professionals and utilizing these social science principles and data, they can develop the best product for the best audience. When management professionals create or direct something, they have to take into consideration how it affects people in marginalized groups. Many times, we look at the psychology behind victimization. Through newer disciplines like victimology, we can see how often these marginalized groups are attacked and why it is probable it will happen. Women are more likely to be targeted than men, and their information is sought after to hold for ransom or things like “revenge porn.” Lack of education and awareness is afforded to
marginalized communities such as those with disabilities and Black and Hispanic communities who disproportionately have their information stolen or privacy breached. Managers in these positions have the power to produce outreach and develop technologies using social sciences and identifying behaviors so that their products and workforce can better elevate these communities to an equal standard for all individuals. Cultures, social beliefs, and even religions all evaluate and rank cybersecurity importance differently in their lives. With access to data and privacy concerns, many of these cultures come under attack, and we can see this through scientific research and surveying multiple groups. This is another way managers can differentiate what services and systems they utilize and produce to better the consumers through a lens of interdisciplinary work.

Cybersecurity is starting to become more of a social norm. With continued knowledge and research by project leaders and risk managers, we see how society is better adapting to the field. This also falls into play with criminals as we must look at the science of criminals, and they will continue to adapt to current standards for cyber security. This is why cybersecurity is an ever-changing field, and managers must promote change and awareness within their groups and expand it broadly.

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