The current approach to cybersecurity is primarily focused on purely technical measures, such as firewalls, antivirus software, and encryption. However, this approach has proven insufficient in preventing social forms of cybercrime and online fraud. Moreover, despite these technical measures, users remain vulnerable to social engineering tactics, such as phishing and pretexting. We need to understand the human component of cybersecurity to develop effective interventions. Furthermore, the internet is completely integrated into our lives, and its many benefits come with risks and threats. For example, people may receive phone calls from someone claiming to be their bank or receive text messages requesting money for various reasons. In this special issue, we aim to promote experimental evaluations that focus on the human factor of cybersecurity, with the goal of developing evidence-based strategies to mitigate these threats.

The main objective of this special issue is to promote experimental evaluations that focus on the human factor of cybersecurity. By doing so, we hope to achieve a better understanding of the interventions that can be implemented to reduce the susceptibility of users to cybercrime and online fraud. Specifically, we aim to investigate the effectiveness of these interventions and identify the building blocks that contribute to their success.

In the face of the growing threat of cybercrime, it is important to identify strategies that can prevent victimization without resorting to overly cautious measures such as identifying all incoming emails as phishing attempts or avoiding clicking on any links altogether, even legitimate ones. We aim to explore the range of strategies available and identify those that are most effective in slowing down the decay rate of intervention.

Overall, this special issue seeks to contribute to the development of evidence-based strategies to mitigate the human factor in cybersecurity.

To gain insight into ways to counter susceptibility to cybercrime and online fraud victimization, the Human Factors in Cyber Security Experiments research topic welcomes experimental studies. We aim to collect studies that contribute to the design and development of countermeasures that will lead to effective interventions that protect users from online attacks with the goal/aim to make the internet a safer place.

We welcome empirical articles studying any of the mentioned or other aspects of Human Factors in Cyber Security Experiments. We will also consider theoretical articles that review advances or present interesting and novel perspectives on the topic. Given the difficulties surrounding the study of the phenomenon, we would also be interested in collecting ideas about possible methodologies that could be applied to its investigation. The submitted articles should fall within the following article types:

• Experimental studies (Original or Replication);
• Review studies (Mini, Systematic, Meta-analysis) investigating experimental interventions;
• Hypothesis testing, Perspective, or Opinion when the focus is on experimental testing.

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