We believe we are less likely than others are to fall for phishing scams, thereby underestimating our own exposure to risk, a new cybersecurity study has found.

Together, the results suggest that those who are not informed of the risk that, for instance, work-from-home situations pose to online security may be more likely to jeopardize the safety of themselves and those they work for.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the physical and mental health of people around the globe. Now, with so many more working online during the pandemic, the virus threatens to wreak havoc on the world’s «cyber health,» the researchers note.

«This study shows people ‘self-enhance’ when assessing risk, believing they are less likely than others to engage in actions that pose a threat to their cyber security — a perception that, in fact, may make us more susceptible to online attacks because it creates a false sense of security,» says Emily Balcetis, an associate professor in New York University’s Department of Psychology, who authored the study, which appears in the journal Comprehensive Results in Social Psychology.

«This effect is partially explained by differences in how we use base rate information, or actual data on how many people are actually victimized by such scams,» adds co-author Quanyan Zhu, a professor at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering. «We avoid it when assessing our own behavior, but use it in making judgments about actions others might take. Because we’re less informed in assessing our actions, our vulnerability to phishing may be greater.»

Through March, more than two million U.S. federal employees had been directed to work from home — in addition to the millions working in the private sector and for state and local governments. This overhaul of working conditions has created significantly more vulnerabilities to criminal activity — a development recognized by the Department of Homeland Security. Its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an alert in March that foreshadowed the specific cyber vulnerabilities that arise when working from home rather than in the office.

Story Source: Materials provided by New York University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.