Cybersecurity & Social Sciences

Cybersecurity isn’t just about firewalls and code. it’s deeply connected to human behavior, communication, and societal trends. In this course, I’ve learned that understanding how people think, interact, and make decisions online is just as important as technical defenses. Social science helps us see patterns in trust, risk perception, misinformation, social engineering, and policy impacts that shape cybersecurity outcomes.

Infographic: Cybersecurity & Human Factors

This infographic highlights how cybersecurity practitioners must consider human behavior and common attack methods (like social engineering) a core theme in sociotechnical approaches to security.

Reflection

These visuals remind me that cybersecurity is a sociotechnical problem not just machines vs. machines. People are often the weakest link and the first line of defense. Understanding how attackers exploit trust, habits, and social platforms helps explain why cybersecurity solutions must include awareness, education, and behavior change strategies (a core lesson of CYSE 201S)