Deanna Caputo, Ph.D., chief scientist for insider threat capabilities and senior principal behavioral psychologist at MITRE, appeared on the Cybercrimeology podcast to discuss her work at the intersection of human behavior and cybersecurity. In the interview, Caputo shared her career journey and highlighted the importance of understanding human behavior to address insider threats and other cybersecurity challenges.
Key takeaways include:
- The Role of Behavioral Science in Cybersecurity: Caputo explained, “I’m someone who understands humans and had to learn cybersecurity.” This unique perspective has helped her lead efforts to integrate behavioral science into cybersecurity solutions.
- The Evolution of Insider Threat Programs: Reflecting on how the field has shifted over time, Caputo noted, “When I came to this community, it was cyber-first. Now it’s human-first.”
- Innovative Research Approaches: Discussing MITRE’s research methods, Caputo emphasized the value of real-world experimentation, saying, “We’ve been fortunate to experiment with employees in real work environments, which provides insights you can’t get from traditional studies.”
As part of our insider threat research, MITRE focuses on multidisciplinary collaboration and real-world knowledge for a deeper understanding of how human behavior intersects with technology to protect critical systems and information.