Compliance Management, Network Security

NIST study warns of security fatigue among users

Most web users are overwhelmed with warning of online threats and suffer from “security fatigue,” according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

A study conducted by NIST determined that users make poor choices that affect their personal and workplace behavior, creating risks to companies by not following security practices. The report, published in IEEE's IT Professional, found that users expressed a sense of resignation, fatalism, and decision avoidance.

These frustrations reinforced the users' views that there is little benefit to following security advice. Survey participants expressed frustration remembering PIN numbers and referred to the credentials as “useless information.” The study was written by NIST's Brian Stanton, Mary F. Theofanos, Susanne Furman, and independent consultant Sandra Spickard Prettyman.

The sentiments echo findings in a report published last month, in which a majority (86 percent) of over-55 Internet users said they do not believe they would be targeted by cybercriminals.

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