Investigating Cyber Attacker Team Cognition

Johnson, Craig J.; Ferguson-Walter, Kimberly; Gutzwiller, Robert S.; Scott, Dakota; Cooke, Nancy J.

doi:10.1177/1071181322661132

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…While decision-making is a promising way of disrupting attackers, interactions with machines are by no means the only place CB may be present. The choices of confirmation bias and framing effects in general limited our examination of biases in decision-making, despite the existence of other cyber-relevant biases at large (Johnson et al, 2020; Johnson et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploratory Analysis of Decision-Making Biases of Professional Red Teamers in a Cyber-Attack Dataset

Gutzwiller,

Rheem,

Ferguson-Walter

et al. 2023

Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making

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Attacker psychology is currently under-examined in cybersecurity research. A prior, large-scale study sought to understand attackers’ behavior by testing both technological and psychological deception. Professional “red team” members participated over two days in various conditions. This data was examined for further evidence that cognitive biases, a potential disruption for attackers, may be present, and may be affecting the outcome. An applied, novel methodology for measuring confirmation bias and framing effects is presented using this realistic dataset. Both confirmation bias and the framing effect occurred in this interpretation. The framing effect appears to have reduced attacker interactions with systems in the network, which may benefit cyber defenders. These results provide additional, exploratory evidence that biases in the decision-making of cyber attackers could be used as part of a defensive cyber strategy. Limitations to the approach and directions for future study of attackers are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploratory Analysis of Decision-Making Biases of Professional Red Teamers in a Cyber-Attack Dataset

Gutzwiller,

Rheem,

Ferguson-Walter

et al. 2023

Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making

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“…One strategy toward mitigating this asymmetric advantage is a scientific one - by studying potential attackers within a human factors and behavioral psychology framework (e.g., Gutzwiller et al, 2015; Gutzwiller et al, 2018; and see Johnson et al, 2022 for a team disruption view). The goals of this interdisciplinary research in decision-making, computer, and psychological science, are to better understand attackers and defenders in terms of their cognitive limitations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frustration, Confusion, Surprise, Confidence, And Self-Doubt: Cyber Operators’ Affects During A Realistic Experiment

Gutzwiller,

Gilbert,

Drescher

et al. 2023

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual

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In this paper we examine data from a complex two-day experiment with professional cyber red teamers to determine what creates, or contributes, to affective states that may further disrupt attackers. Participants rated their frustration, surprise, confidence, self-doubt, and confusion at the end of each day, and these responses were scored on a Likert scale and using Thematic analysis. We found several elements strongly contributed to the frequency and severity of these affective states, supporting our initial hypothesis, and further that (1) experiencing a Lack of Progress impacted four of the five states with moderate severity, and (2) interacting with elements in the environment that Deviated from what was expected was associated strongly with surprise. Implications for cyber defense and limitations of the method are discussed.

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The Pivotal Role of Red Teaming in Cybersecurity Drill Tests in Enhancing Indonesia's Cyber Defenses

Yulianto,

Soewito,

Lumban

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Investigating Cyber Attacker Team Cognition

Cited by 3 publications

References 48 publications

Exploratory Analysis of Decision-Making Biases of Professional Red Teamers in a Cyber-Attack Dataset

Exploratory Analysis of Decision-Making Biases of Professional Red Teamers in a Cyber-Attack Dataset

Frustration, Confusion, Surprise, Confidence, And Self-Doubt: Cyber Operators’ Affects During A Realistic Experiment

The Pivotal Role of Red Teaming in Cybersecurity Drill Tests in Enhancing Indonesia's Cyber Defenses

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