Security News > 2020 > May > Are you sure you would never fall for a phishing scam?

We believe we are less likely than others are to fall for phishing scams, thereby underestimating our own exposure to risk, a cybersecurity study has found.

Half of the subjects were asked how likely they were to take the requested action while the other half was asked how likely another, specifically, "Someone like them," would do so.

The researchers then deployed an innovative methodology to determine if the subjects used this "Base rate information" in reporting the likelihood that they and "Someone like them" would comply with the requested phishing action.

Using eye-tracking technology, they could determine when the subjects actually read the provided information when reporting their own likelihood of falling for phishing attempts and when reporting the likelihood of others doing the same.

Overall, they found that the subjects thought they were less likely than are others to fall for phishing scams - evidence of "Self-enhancement." But the researchers also discovered that the subjects were less likely to rely on "Base rate information" when answering the question about their own behavior yet more likely to use it when answering the question about how others would act.

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