Where Organizational Science and Cybersecurity Intersect

Where Organizational Science and Cybersecurity Intersect Image

Reeshad Dalal, an associate professor of industrial and organizational psychology, and Daniel Shore, a Ph.D. student in industrial and organizational psychology, held a mini-conference aimed at bridging two disciplines: organizational science and cybersecurity.

 
The conference, held on July 14-15, 2018, at Mason's Fairfax campus, was funded by the National Science Foundation. More than 45 people attended, representing several organizations (e.g., the National Science Foundation, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Computer Emergency Response Team, the Association for Psychological Science the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the RAND Corporation) and several universities.
 
The premise of the conference was that core organizational topics and research methods, ranging in level of analysis from the micro to the macro, can greatly enhance knowledge of the "human" aspect of cybersecurity--and vice versa. The conference featured a number of research presentations from organizational science researchers and practitioners interested in cybersecurity, and from cybersecurity researchers interested in organizational science.
 
The conference also included panel discussions on topics such as obtaining external funding at the intersection of organizational science and cybersecurity and various ways of disseminating findings (ranging from publishing in interdisciplinary outlets to writing policy-focused white papers).
 
Finally, the conference aimed to build a community of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers by means of semi-structured networking activities, the establishment of an email listserv, and a focus on future deliverables. More information about the workshop, as well as copies of all the presentations, can be obtained at: https://orgcyberworkshop.weebly.com/