Future of cyber security is in the mind
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The research draws on psychological studies and uses mathematical models to improve how decisions are made when dealing with complex security IT problems
The University of Liverpool is developing a new tool that can protect organisations of all sizes from cyber threats.
Cyber security is recognised as a serious challenge to economic and national security and it is estimated to cost the UK economy £10billion a year.
IT companies who are at the forefront of cyber attacks use a combination of hardware, software and human effort to tackle the issue and it is thought that inadequate support for human decision-making contributes to the success of some cyber-attacks.
[callout title= ]"This is a unique inter-disciplinary research project which uses mathematics to improve the decision-making skills of those working in IT security operations"[/callout]Researchers at the University are developing a new technology that draws on psychological studies into how people make decisions in stressful situations. They are using mathematical models to improve how decisions are made when dealing with complex security IT problems.
Simon Maskell, Professor of Autonomous Systems in the School of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Computer Science, who is leading the project, said: "This is a unique inter-disciplinary research project which uses mathematics to improve the decision-making skills of those working in IT security operations.
"The toolset we are developing will ensure that decisions are made based on what the evidence actually indicates rather than what people - often mistakenly - think the evidence indicates.
"In addition to statistical and psychological expertise at Liverpool, the project also draws on research in ethical issues to ensure that the new toolset takes into consideration data protection implications."
The project is in partnership with Hewlett Packard and is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
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