A new research that’s published on the
Social Science Computer Review, assessed the self-control of nearly 6,000 survey participants along with their computer behaviour to could indicate malware and infection. Helmed by Tom Hold, professor of criminal justice at
Michigan State University, the research survey asked participants a series of questions about how they could react in certain situations. For computer behaviour, they asked the patrons about how they would react to their computer becoming slow, crashing or having unexpected pop-ups and the homepage changing on their web browsers.
The research stated that people who showed signs of low self-control were the ones they found more susceptible to malware attacks. Holt explained, “An individual’s characteristics are critical in studying how cybercrime perseveres, particularly the person’s impulsiveness and the activities that they engage in while online that have the greatest impact on their risk.”
He further added saying that hackers and cybercriminals are well aware that the people with low self-control are the ones searching the internet for what they want, or may think they want - which is how they know what sites, files, or methods to attack.
The most important aspect of fighting cybercrime is to understand the psychological side of self-control and what type of people are likely to spread it to others. Behavioural factors are extremely important for online matters, says Holt.
However, computer scientists approach malware prevention and education from a technical standpoint, trying to find the latest software solutions to block infections or messaging about the infections themselves. Although it is important, addressing the psychological side of this issue is imperative as well.
“If we can identify risk factors, we can work in tandem with technical fields to develop strategies that then reduce the risk factors for infection,” Holt says.
Holt is currently working on strategies that will allow him to break the silos between the computer and social sciences to think holistically about fighting cybercrime. He concludes by saying that attacking the malware from both sides – technical and psychological can helps us pinpoint the risk factors and technical strategies to find solutions that improve protection for everyone.”
