In the modern age, all organizations face threats from various types of cyber attacks. Although great strides have been made to consider human factors in cybersecurity and to become more proactive in threat analysis, security is still generally a reactive, technical field. This research seeks to develop a framework which adapts existing methods such as the cyber kill chain to look at attacks in a less linear, more human-centered framework that focuses on the capabilities and decisions of the threat actor. In addition, the framework approaches threat analysis from a binary assessment of success vs. failure in order to see the entire attack and consider the potential for a number of methods and attempts made in a single attack. A detailed methodology and sample charts are included for a reference and a starting point in developing one’s own personalized charts, and recommendations are made for ways to integrate this methodology into the risk management process.
Emily has recently graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a master's degree in Public Policy and Management with a concentration in Cybersecurity Management. She also has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Political Science from Carlow University. Emily's interests lie in penetration testing, threat analysis, and applying the study of human behavior to the field of cybersecurity.