The Missing Engineering Discipline in Cybersecurity: Human Factors Engineering

Human factors remain the most critical vulnerability in cybersecurity, with many breaches involving human errors or social engineering. Integrating human factors engineering (HFE) into cybersecurity strategies is crucial for addressing these vulnerabilities and enhancing security resilience. Despite its importance, HFE is not widely recognized as an engineering discipline in cybersecurity, and many educational programs lack dedicated courses on human factors. Academic institutions, cybersecurity professionals, and federal agencies must advocate for incorporating HFE into cybersecurity curricula to prepare professionals with a comprehensive understanding of human behavior and its impact on security, ultimately leading to more robust and resilient cybersecurity practices.