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Duration: 30 min
Type: Talk
Speakers: Olga Bogolyubova
Abstract
Social engineering is commonly understood through frameworks emphasizing cognitive bias, persuasion techniques, and the deficits of digital literacy. This talk introduces a trauma-informed perspective on social engineering victimization, arguing that some forms of online manipulation exploit not only cognitive shortcuts but also patterns of social cognition shaped by adversity, victimization, and interpersonal trauma. Drawing on research from trauma psychology, cyberpsychology, and victimization studies, the talk examines how processes related to trust, ambiguity, emotional regulation, and threat perception may become relevant in contexts such as romance fraud, phishing, impersonation scams, and disinformation campaigns. The presentation also discusses the possible interplay between offline and online victimization experiences as well as the limitations of models that frame digital victimization primarily as a consequence of insufficient awareness or digital literacy.
Description
This talk explores social engineering from a trauma-informed psychological perspective. Moving beyond explanations focused solely on cognitive bias or digital literacy, it examines how experiences of adversity and victimization may shape responses to trust, authority, uncertainty, and emotional manipulation online. Using examples including phishing, romance fraud, impersonation scams, and disinformation campaigns, the talk discusses implications for human-centric cybersecurity, digital resilience, and victim support.