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Many of us think its laughable how could someone fall for something so simple?

How do cybercriminals really get away with phishing, BEC fraud, or other seemingly simple online scams?

A computer being guarded by cybersecurity.

How does the internet enable cybercrime?

What many people do not realize is the extent to which theinternetactually encourages cybercrime.

Equally, cybercriminals use this to their advantage to create various personas and fool their victims.

Co-founder and CEO of CyberSmart.

How does a cybercriminal exploit us?

One way is by creating a sense of urgency.

Consequently, victims tend to be less critical and act on impulse.

Consequently, they may not think about falling victim to what may appear as a simple scam.

With herd mentality the danger is that employees will follow the crowd with regards to lacklustersecuritypractices.

How can psychology help improve cybersecurity?

All hope is not lost, however.

By understanding how deception influences human decision-making, SMEs can create better protective measures and response plans.

Self efficacy refers to an individual’s ability to respond to threats.

Using positive reinforcement and encouragement, leaders can boost their employees confidence in how they respond to potential scams.

One way they can do this is by offering public recognition for successful work.

Response efficacy relates to the training and controls used to respond to threats within the organization.

These must be easy-to-use, high quality and timely, to improve user experience.

Additionally, its vital for SMEs to have an understanding of the fundamentals of goodcybersecurity.

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