Studying online (if an online offering is shown below)
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
This unit explores the cognitive, psychological, and social dimensions of cybersecurity, emphasising the human factors that influence both cyber threats and defence mechanisms. Students will critically examine how decisions are made in cybersecurity contexts, including the role of heuristics, biases, and bounded rationality in shaping outcomes.
A key focus is on understanding user mental models of cybersecurity and how these models impact risk perception and behaviour. Students will investigate the psychology of social engineering, its various forms, and how attackers exploit human vulnerabilities. Through the lens of game theory, the unit also explores adversarial strategies and exploitation in cybersecurity scenarios.
The unit introduces the emerging field of social cybersecurity, exploring how misinformation, trust, and online influence affect security at the societal level. Students will gain a holistic understanding of the human aspects that shape cyber defence and offense, preparing them to design and evaluate more effective cybersecurity strategies and technologies.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode First year of offer Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) On-campus - Outcomes
Students are able to (1) evaluate cognitive processes, including heuristics, biases, and bounded rationality - that shape cybersecurity decision-making and assess their impact on individual and organisational security outcomes; (2) analyse psychological and social engineering tactics to understand attacker strategies and develop user-centered defence mechanisms while taking inspiration from behavioural science; (3) critically assess user mental models and interactive system design to propose improvements in cybersecurity tools that align with real-world cognitive and behavioural constraints; (4) investigate the influence of socio-cultural, organisational, and economic factors on the development of cybersecurity culture, policies, and inclusive engagement strategies within diverse digital communities; and (5) apply interdisciplinary approaches - including cognitive engineering, signal detection theory, and game theory - to design effective human-centric cybersecurity frameworks and risk mitigation strategies.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) test; (2) project; and (3) exam. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Dr Mehwish Nasim
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- Enrolment in and Successful completion of
- Advisable prior study
- Students are advised to complete at least two units teaching different programming languages.
Students should also complete at least two cybersecurity units.
- Contact hours
- 2 hours lecture
2 hours labs
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.