Life and work administration could become more complex with Internet of Things (IoT) technology and commonplace electronics like mobile devices and PCs. Apps and smart tech bring convenience and intelligence to every facet of life, but it might be at the cost of mental health and digital security.
Complacency like this results in cybersecurity fatigue. Finding methods to stay connected while combatting tech maintenance burnout is vital for staying safe in increasingly dangerous digital environments.
What is Alert Fatigue and its Effects on Tech Usage?
Phones, tablets and computers are awash with notifications and alerts — it’s easy to dismiss most of them because they have no current gravity in present activities. Some apps are seldom-used. However, this behavioral conditioning to overlook alerts could unintentionally create issues for cybersecurity risk assessment.
The more people don’t participate in cybersecurity hygiene, the more surface area exists for vulnerability. Unfortunately, this creates more work for analysts who have to perform remediation and find the sources of cyberattacks.
People want to decrease their screen time and technological reliance but keep the luxuries their tech brings. Though taking a step back provides benefits, too much tech negligence could leave more susceptibilities for incoming cybercriminals. The likelihood of breaches increases as tech users get more exhausted by the monotony of incoming security alerts. Swiping away a notification could mean ignorance of the incoming danger.
IoT devices continue to increase in number in most households as the necessity for internet connectivity becomes more integral to work, learning and even health appointments. Fatigue is natural when workers in some sectors use an average of five apps to perform job duties but could have 14 or more installed.
Humans must find a happy medium between devoted tech time and keeping tabs on cybersecurity risk assessments — especially since most people have rising concerns about threats alongside the rising number of complicated devices. Hackers will take advantage of this indifference if humans don’t match the demand for increased security practices.
Why Does This Happen?
Digital security discourse is more present as threats increase in severity. Humans are paranoid their data isn’t safe because they don’t trust businesses to handle it appropriately. Simultaneously, the average tech user experiences cybersecurity fatigue since they may feel these topics do not apply to them or are too complex to understand and implement.
Generalized skepticism and lack of willingness to learn more about the sector are other contributors to cybersecurity fatigue. Humans distrust new and unfamiliar technology, born of cynicism fostered by news outlets or portrayals in fictional media. A perception like this constructs mental obstacles in people who must help cybersecurity professionals fight threats.
Fatigue increases when alerts are not actionable. Some notifications are purely for conveying updates or short-form information. However, they must be balanced or consolidated with action-oriented messages to prevent carelessness. Thankfully, solutions exist to curb these side effects.
How Can Humans Combat App Fatigue?
More accessible educational resources about cybersecurity hygiene could dispel false learning curves associated with greater personal cybersecurity. Dispelling myths that instill fear and paranoia in tech users can also create healthier relationships with electronics while increasing the care they have over them.
Workplaces can review app stacks to ensure they aren’t causing employee burnout from technological overoptimization. Leaning on technology or apps too much can cause employees to discredit their usefulness and lead to irresponsible usage behaviors, like not enabling security measures like two-factor authentication or biometrics. Consolidating tools will not only increase productivity, morale and cybersecurity in the workplace, but it will also simplify operational security.
Developers, employers and individuals can also curate their notifications to reduce alert fatigue. Much like how Instagram users get annoyed receiving an alert every time someone likes a photo, it waters down important alerts like direct messages.
No notification should decrease the perceived validity of upcoming alerts in more severe settings like hospitals and banks where stakes are high and information is personal. Take time to hone in on what’s essential to notify participants so users read each notification equally.
Decreasing App Fatigue for Better Security
Creating more robust cybersecurity means overcoming app fatigue. Developing healthy relationships with technology encourages responsible usage and attentive security procedures. Incorporating more tech may solve some issues, but it’s a delicate balance of behavioral shifts with technological adaptation.
