naa a22 4500 528782258 20180924065513.0 cr unu---uuuuu 180924s2018 xx s 000 0 eng 10.3929/ethz-b-000264912 doi 10.17645/pag.v6i2.1279 doi (ETHRESEARCH)oai:www.research-collection.ethz.ch:20.500.11850/264912 Gomez Miguel A. Fear, Uncertainty, and Dread: Cognitive Heuristics and Cyber Threats [Elektronische Daten] [Miguel A. Gomez, Eula B. Villar] Open access ethresearch Advances in cyber capabilities continue to cause apprehension among the public. With states engaging in cyber operations in pursuit of its perceived strategic utility, it is unsurprising that images of a "Cyber Pearl Harbor” remain appealing. It is crucial to note, however, that the offensive action in cyberspace has only had limited success over the past decade. It is estimated that less than 5% of these have achieved their stated political or strategic objectives. Moreover, only five states are thought to have the capabilities to inflict or threaten substantial damage. Consequently, this raises the question of what accounts for the continued sense of dread in cyberspace. The article posits that this dread results from the inappropriate use of cognitive shortcuts or heuristics. The findings herein suggest that the lack of experience in dealing with cyber operations encourages uncertainty, which motivates decision-makers to base their judgements on pre-existing, and possibly incorrect, conceptions of cyberspace. In response, the article segues into potential solutions that can mitigate unsubstantiated dread towards cyberspace by peering into the role that attributes at the organizational level can play in tempering the position of individuals. The suggested considerations are rooted in the interactions between the micro and macro level processes in forming judgments, sensemaking, and ultimately, mobilizing actions. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ethresearch Cybersecurity ethresearch Cyber threats ethresearch Dread ethresearch Experiment ethresearch Heuristics ethresearch Villar Eula B. joint author Politics and Governance Lisbon : Cogitatio Press 6 (2), pp. 61-72 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/264912 text/html WWW-Backlink auf das Repository (Open access) 1 Journal Article ethresearch ETHRESEARCH 856 40 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/264912 text/html WWW-Backlink auf das Repository (Open access) ETHRESEARCH 100 1- Gomez Miguel A. ETHRESEARCH 700 1- Villar Eula B. joint author ETHRESEARCH 773 0- Politics and Governance Lisbon : Cogitatio Press 6 (2), pp. 61-72 BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 ETHRESEARCH ETHRESEARCH ETHRESEARCH Journal Article Open access