Article Review No. 1 

Nicholas T. Martin 

Department of Cybersecurity; Old Dominion University 

CYSE 201S: Cybersecurity and the Social Sciences 

Professor Diwakar Yalpi 

2/26/2026 

Abstract 

In this article, I will be analyzing a 2025 International Journal of Cyber Criminology article by Mohanad M. S. Ghaleb and Jamshid Pardaev entitled, “Controlling Cyber Crime through Information Security Compliance Behavior: Role of Cybersecurity Awareness, Organizational Culture and Trust in Management.” I will determine the research methods utilized, the independent and dependent variable(s), and demonstrate the connection the conducted research expressed in the article has with the social sciences.  

Research Method and Variable(s) 

The researchers in the article strived to discern the reality of six proposed hypotheses which centered around organizational culture, trust in upper management, and the cultivation of compliance behaviors, and posited that increasing trust, employee engagement, and organizational culture also increases information security compliance behavior. The identified independent variables are organizational culture, cybersecurity awareness, and employee involvement. The test variable, or dependent variable, is information security compliance behavior. The mediating variable is trust in management. The researchers utilized physical and digital survey questionnaires across dozens of organizations to gather quantitative data on organization culture, cybersecurity awareness, employee engagement, trust in management, and information security compliance. The research produced over 250 responses that were organized into tables, analyzed, and discussed to render a meaningful conclusion (Ghaleb & Pardaev, 2025).  

Key Findings 

Following the analysis of the data gathered, the researchers determined that their initial hypotheses were correct. According to the article, “The results affirm that building a security-first culture, trust in leadership, and heightened employee engagement are not merely ethical or strategic intentions, these are critical mechanisms for ensuring effective compliance action in today’s digital world.” The article goes on to suggest that effective security measures are not created solely out of technical applications, but also human compliance to standards and procedures (Ghaleb & Pardaev, 2025). 

Connection to Social Sciences and Conclusion 

The article, and the research therein, show a clear interdisciplinary connection to social sciences. By measuring the security compliance of employees based on management trust and engagement, the researchers are taking a psychological/sociological approach. Further, the article states the theories the research is centered on: Theory of Planned Behavior, Social Exchange Theory, and Jobs Demands-Resources Theory (Ghaleb & Pardaev, 2025). These theories also show a clear connection to social sciences and demonstrates the crucial role psychology and sociology play in formulating and executing effective information security systems.  

References 

Ghaleb, M. M. S., & Pardaev, J. (2025). Controlling cyber crime through information security compliance behavior: Role of cybersecurity awareness, organizational culture and trust in management. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 19(1). https://cybercrimejournal.com/menuscript/index.php/cybercrimejournal/article/view/437 

Article Review #2: Human Factors in Cybersecurity 

Nicholas T. Martin 

School of Cybersecurity, Old Dominion University 

CYSE 201S: Cybersecurity and the Social Sciences 

Professor Diwakar Yalpi 

4/18/2026 

BLUF 

I will be reviewing the article Human Factors in Cybersecurity: An Interdisciplinary Review and Framework Proposal, written by Khadka, K. and Ullah A.B. in 2025 and published by the International Journal of Information Security. The purpose of the article is to examine how human factors correlate with cybersecurity and to propose integrations of psychology and sociology into cybersecurity frameworks. The key finding in the article is that the majority of security vulnerabilities stem from human fallibility. 

Relation to Social Sciences 

The article provides an interdisciplinary analysis of cybersecurity and its relation to human psychology. The article focuses on psychology, sociology, and organizational behavior. 

Research Question/Hypothesis/Independent Variable/Dependent Variable 

  • Research Question: How do human, psychological, and organizational factors affect cybersecurity effectiveness? 
  • Hypothesis: Integrating human psychology, sociology, and organizational behavior into cybersecurity frameworks will improve security outcomes. 
  • Independent Variable: Awareness, cognitive bias, organizational behavior, social influence. 
  • Dependent Variable: Security behavior, security effectiveness, incident rates. 

Type of Research Method 

The authors of the article utilize qualitative literature review to study their research question. The researchers analyzed industry literature from cybersecurity professionals, psychology/sociology fields, as well as security frameworks to create a broad, interdisciplinary view of the research question. 

Type of Data Analysis 

The authors predominantly use a qualitative lens to study and integrate literature from different disciples, such as cybersecurity, psychology, and organizational management. They also utilize thematic analysis to determine how human behavior, biases, and social influences effects security posture. The researchers focus on human borne vulnerabilities, security awareness, incident rates, and organizational culture. 

Connection to Course Concepts 

The human factor in cybersecurity has been a continuous theme throughout the course. This includes concepts like personality types, cognitive bias, trust theory, fallibility, etc. The general concesus of the coursework has been that humans are a unqiue vulnerable part of any information security system, and this article reaffirms this conclusion. The article further posits that human factors must be considered in security frameworks to establish an effective security posture. 

Overall Contributions 

What this article does best is that it bridges the divide between cybersecurity and behavioral sciences. It also illustrates how system defenses cannot soley rely on technical mitigation, but that human awareness and training are crucial elements to foster cybersecurity. 

References 

Khadka, K. and Ullah A.B. (2025). Human factors in cybersecurity: An interdisciplinary review and framework proposal. International Journal of Information Security. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10207-025-01032-0