If you’ve ever been a victim of a cyberattack, you may have experienced overwhelming emotions and adverse psychological impact. You are not alone. Behind every nefarious cyber scheme, there’s a human element that preys on victims’ emotions.
Cybercriminals are driven by their own psyches and often exploit human nature to achieve their goals. Through psychological tactics like social engineering, hackers manipulate their victim’s trust and steal from unsuspecting prey based on a variety of motivations.
Victims may be susceptible due to cognitive biases and emotionally-charged experiences. Those who fall prey to digital scams aren’t always naive — highly-educated people in high-powered professions often fall victim to cyberattacks.
By understanding the psychology behind cyberattacks and how psychology plays a vital role in cybersecurity, you can become better equipped to spot the red flags of a cyber threat and avoid getting snared by malevolent hackers.
What is a cyberattack?
A cyberattack is an intentional attempt to damage, disrupt, or hijack computer networks and systems, digital devices, and confidential account access. Whether an attack is carried out by an individual or an organized group, it can lead to financial loss, operation disruption, reputation erosion, stolen data, and more.
A cyberattack can target anyone, at any time. These malevolent schemes strike a wide range of victims, from individual Internet users to small businesses to large corporations or even government agencies.
Hackers use a variety of tactics (including psychological manipulation) to build trust, create a sense of urgency, ensnare unsuspecting victims, and achieve their ultimate objectives. Their attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and much harder to detect.
According to Cybercrime Magazine, by the end of 2025, cyberattacks are projected to cost $10.5 trillion globally. In 2024 alone, a shocking 1.7 billion people fall prey to these scams.
How cybercriminals use psychology to attack
Cybercriminals can be driven by the possibility of financial gain, ideological beliefs, the thrill of subterfuge, and more. Ultimately, however, their end goals are to exploit the vulnerabilities of networks, systems, and people.
Hackers might use psychology to trick victims into sharing sensitive data, compromising personal or professional security, or sending money. By creating a sense of connection and trust or using urgency to trick others into making irrational and reactive decisions, these bad actors utilize a plethora of psychological tactics.
What are the psychological tactics used in cyberattacks?
Cybercriminals are often successful when they exploit human behavior. Many successful cyberattacks work not because of software vulnerabilities, but because they trick people into letting their guard down. These manipulative methods fall under a broader category known as social engineering (or human hacking).
Here are some of the most common psychological tactics cybercriminals use to get past your defenses:
Deference to Trusted Authority:
Cybercriminals may impersonate authority figures like bank officials, company executives, tech support agents, or even government agencies. People are more likely to comply when a request seems to come from a trusted or powerful source.
These cyberattacks often use official-looking logos, email addresses, and language to appear legitimate.
For example, every tax season, fraudsters pose as official Internal Revenue Service agents in IRS scams via phone calls, texts, or email messages. They may threaten arrest or other terror-inducing consequences unless you comply and send money immediately.
The IRS will never call, email, or text you with threats or a demand for money. You can report IRS scams through a form on the agency’s official website.
Familiarity and Implied Trust:
If you’re a specific target of an online scam artist, they may have spent time grabbing information from your social media profiles to send you uniquely personal messages.
For example, a stranger could claim to be a friend of a friend (whose name they saw on your Facebook “friends” list), and familiarly refer to your workplace, hobbies, or other friends. Once they’ve earned your trust, they may offer you a “too-good-to-be-true,” “deal of a lifetime!” or play on your sympathies to ask for money.
Helpfulness:
Through a direct message on social media, an email, or even an AI-generated deepfake phone or video call, a hacker might pose as a friend, family member, or coworker in need of emergency assistance.
For example, they may play on your heartstrings by asking you to wire money or gift cards, or may ask you to share sensitive login credentials. We’re wired to help, especially when a request purportedly comes from someone we care about or an authority figure we respect.
Temptation:
Cybercriminals might use psychological ploys and send tantalizing messages like, “You won’t believe this crazy video!” or “You’ve won a free gift card!” Messages that appeal to curiosity or greed can lead users to unknowingly download malware, give up personal data, or fall for phishing scams. These tactics prey on our natural curiosity and FOMO (fear of missing out).
Urgency and Fear:
Hackers often create a false sense of urgency. You might get an email saying your bank account will be frozen unless you act immediately, or a pop-up warning that your computer is infected with a virus.
Fear triggers panic, and panic leads to poor decision-making, like clicking on a malicious link, wiring money or gift cards, and sharing personal information.
The psychological impact of cyberattacks
Cyberattacks can have a significant and adverse impact on people who may struggle emotionally and mentally as a result. Anxiety, depression, distrust, shame, stress, and more can cause severe emotional distress for those who have been targeted by cybercrime.
Here’s a closer look at the emotional and mental health impact cyberattacks can have on its victims:
Anxiety and Stress:
If you’re the victim of a scam, you might experience insomnia and appetite loss, feel the need to constantly check your accounts and device security, and feel anxious throughout your day.
Depression, Eroded Self-Esteem, and Increased Insecurity:
A cyberattack, such as a catfishing scam or deepfake that results in financial loss or identity theft, can compound feelings of hopelessness and contribute to a bleak perception of life and other people. Loss of self-esteem and increased insecurity can occur as a result of an attack and leave victims feeling vulnerable and exposed.
Erosion of Trust:
After a cyberattack, victims may lose trust in other people. Businesses that are impacted by an attack may lose consumer trust. For example, brands that experience a significant data breach may need to take time to restore their consumer reputation.
Shame:
Victims might erroneously blame themselves for an attack and feel embarrassed that they fell for a scam.
A survey of cyberattack victims from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that these attacks can disturb livelihood and work, increase anger and other negative emotions, and can develop into long-term emotional distress. Thus, increased cybersecurity is vital not only to financial and data protection, but also to mental health.
Why psychology matters in cybersecurity
As cyberattacks increasingly use emotional manipulation and other psychological tactics to lure in victims, psychology becomes a critical factor in cybersecurity measures. Cybersecurity protocols should factor in how people make decisions, think, and react to cyber threats such as catfishing, phishing, and social engineering.
Psychology should inform your cybersecurity strategies, including:
Awareness Training:
Whether you’re an individual Internet user or a business owner, it’s important to understand your cognitive biases, like underestimating security risks or trusting strangers, that may be exploited by cybercriminals.
Look for signs of phishing or social engineering scams, including urgent demands, appeals to sympathy ( for example, “My son is sick and we can’t afford his life-saving operation”), and overt threats and financial demands.
Improved Security Measures:
Understanding how psychology drives cyberattacks can allow you to take proactive security measures. For example, malevolent hackers might exploit weak passwords and lack of two-factor authentication (2FA) based on the human tendency to trust basic cybersecurity protection to thwart all attacks.
Use a password manager such as LastPass and set up 2FA on all of your accounts to decrease your vulnerability to a cyberattack. Make sure you have the right firewalls and antivirus software installed to meet your security needs. Ensure your cybersecurity software is regularly updated to include new security patches.
Mitigation of Psychology-Based Attacks:
Develop management strategies to avoid psychological cyber threats. Keep your data encrypted. Limit network access controls. Regularly backup your data.
In organizational cybersecurity, it’s important to conduct cyber risk assessments and monitor user activity to ensure your workforce doesn’t become prey for malware, phishing attacks, ransomware, social engineering, or spyware. Empower your employees to report risks.
Cyberattacks can have a significant psychological impact on people. Both individuals and organizations need to prioritize cybersecurity education and remain aware of the emotional and mental toll of an attack.
By understanding the psychology of cyberattacks, you can become equipped to avoid falling victim to online scams and to mitigate the psychological consequences.
