Human Factors Analysis of 23 Cyberattacks

As cyber threat actors have become more sophisticated, data breaches, phishing attacks, and ransomware are increasing, and the global cybercrime damage in 2021 was $16.4 billion a day. While technical issue analyses are fundamental in understanding how to improve system security, analyzing the roles of human agents is crucial. Human Factors Analysis of 23 Cyberattacks addresses, through examples, the human factors behind cybersecurity attacks.

Focusing on human factors in individual attack cases, this book aims to understand the primary behaviors that might result in the success of attacks. Each chapter looks at a series of cases describing the nature of the attack through the reports and reviews of the experts, followed by the role and human factors analysis. It investigates where a human agent’s intervention was a factor in starting, discovering, monitoring, or suffering from the attacks. Written in an easy-to-understand way and free from technical jargon, the reader will develop a thorough understanding of why cyberattacks occur and how they can be mitigated by comparison to the practical examples provided.

This title will appeal to students and practitioners in the fields of ergonomics, human factors, cybersecurity, computer engineering, industrial engineering, and computer science.

Author Biography

Abbas Moallem, Ph.D., is a consultant and adjunct professor at San Jose State University, California, where he teaches human-computer interaction, cybersecurity, information visualization, and human factors. He is also the program chair of HCI-CPT, the International Conference on HCI for Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Trust, and the track chair of the International Conference on Human Factors in Cybersecurity.

Dr. Moallem is the editor of Human-Computer Interaction and Cybersecurity Handbook, Smart and Intelligent Systems, The Human Elements in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Awareness Among Students and Faculty, Understanding Cybersecurity Technologies, A Guide to Selecting the Right Cybersecurity Tools. He is also the editor of a book series from CRC Press titled The Human Element in Smart and Intelligent Systems.