Most cybersecurity incidents are not caused by technology alone, but by human behavior.
This course introduces students to the human side of cybersecurity and provides a practical, risk-based approach to working with security awareness, behavior, and culture in organizations.

Instead of focusing only on knowledge and training, the course explores how and why people make decisions, how behavior creates risk, and how organizations can design solutions that make secure behavior the easy choice.

This approach reflects a growing industry focus on human risk as a key component of cybersecurity.

After completing this course, students will be able to design and implement targeted, behavior-driven cybersecurity initiatives that reduce real risk and can be anchored in organizational practices and compliance frameworks.

• The role of human behavior in cybersecurity risk
• The difference between awareness (knowledge) and behavior
• Cognitive biases and decision-making processes affecting security behavior
• How risk arises from everyday actions and situations in organizations
• Principles for designing security solutions aligned with human behavior
• Basic concepts of risk-based security culture and human risk management

• Identify and describe risk scenarios involving human behavior
• Analyze target groups and assess their exposure and level of “risk savviness” (risk awareness and decision-making ability)
• Identify behavioral barriers and friction that prevent secure behavior
• Design interventions that make secure behavior easier in practice
• Prioritize initiatives based on risk rather than activity
• Communicate security initiatives in a way that supports engagement and action

• Work systematically with the human factor in cybersecurity
• Translate risk insights into practical and targeted initiatives
• Contribute to building a security culture that goes beyond awareness
• Support decision-making with a clear link between behavior and risk
• Contribute to organizational decision-making related to cybersecurity risk and behavior
• Reflect on and evaluate the effect of security initiatives