"Research on the Psychology of Being Hacked Needed" Launch of Human-Centered Security Forum

Professor Kim Jeong-deok, Department of Industrial Security, Chung-Ang University

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] Amid the recent increase in hacking attacks such as ransomware, the 'Human-Centered Security Forum,' which studies human psychology in security issues, will be launched on the 25th.

Professor Kim Jeong-deok of the Department of Industrial Security at Chung-Ang University, who serves as the head of the forum, said in an interview with Asia Economy, "Recent hacking attacks often exploit vulnerable human psychology rather than advanced technology," adding, "Experts will gather at the Human-Centered Security Forum to study this aspect."

The Human-Centered Security Forum plans to research and develop alternatives on the theme that "humans are both the problem and the solution in security." The forum originated from the awareness that although domestic security has achieved significant technological progress, there are limitations to the past IT-centered and control-centered security approaches. To cope with increasingly sophisticated social engineering attacks, it is time to consider the previously overlooked 'human-centered security' activities. Representatives from IT companies, including Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) from Naver, NCSoft, and Amazon, will also participate in the forum.

Professor Kim explained, "Hacking attacks are often viewed only as technical issues, but insider incidents account for more than 50%, and social engineering attacks involve exploiting human psychology by sending emails that, when opened, lead to malware infections," adding, "Security efforts without understanding humans have limitations." The Human-Centered Security Forum will also study approaches related to human behavioral science, social psychology, and organizational psychology in security issues.

Professor Kim emphasized the People, Process, and Technology (PPT) approach regarding security issues. He said, "While much research has been done on security solutions like antivirus software and security management systems, research on people has not been adequately conducted," adding, "All three must work well simultaneously to build a proper system and carry out security activities."