As a technologist and cybersecurity researcher, Erik J. Huffman is well-versed in hacker tricks. Yet Huffman nearly fell victim to a scam after receiving an email purportedly from his mother asking for financial help. The email immediately reminded him of how much his mother had done for her family. He says he heard her voice in his mind as he read the words on the computer screen. And although Huffman knew she had never before asked for money, he quickly replied: “How much do you need?”
It wasn’t until another email came back, asking how quickly he could send money — another uncharacteristic ask — that Huffman questioned the exchange. “Some red flags had been raised,” Huffman says as he recounted the story in his TED Talk, titled “Human Hacking: The Psychology Behind Cybersecurity.”
In both his TED Talk and in a follow-up interview with CSO, Huffman explains why he almost fell for the scam: he could hear his mother’s voice in his head as he read the email, which made the request seem real. He wanted to be helpful. And, in the rush of the everyday, he didn’t pick up on the danger right away.
Phishing reactions are part of the human DNA
He’s not alone in those…
