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"Is Your Brain Wired for Insecurity?" - AJ King on Behavioural Science
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This week on The Awareness Angle Interviews… Anthony sits down with AJ King, a UX researcher and behavioural science expert, to explore what it really takes to change security behaviour.
Forget check-the-box training and flashy nudges—this episode gets into the messy, human side of behaviour change, why habits are hard to break, and how your gym routine might just explain why people keep clicking phishing links.
🧠 Why People Don’t Remember Training – AJ breaks down the cognitive reasons annual awareness programs often fall flat.
🎯 Nudges Aren’t Enough – We explore why simple prompts can help—but won’t fix—behavioural gaps without deeper engagement.
💪 The Gym Metaphor – Building secure habits is like fitness: it takes consistency, relevance, and personal motivation.
📈 Beyond Compliance – Compliance might drive reporting, but it rarely changes how people actually act.
🔁 Repetition & Real Life – Training sticks when it reflects daily behaviour—not once-a-year reminders.
📣 Speaking Their Language – Why tailoring awareness efforts to people’s lived experience matters more than security buzzwords.
🤝 Behavioural Science Meets UX – AJ shares how user research and human-centred design can elevate your awareness program from frustrating to effective.
💬 Feedback as a Force Multiplier – What users tell you (and what they don’t) can reshape how you teach security.
⚖️ Fear vs. Motivation – We talk about the psychology of risk, and why scaring people isn’t a sustainable strategy.
🔄 Security is a Human System – Tools help, but behaviour drives outcomes. Awareness needs to meet people where they are.
If you're trying to move the needle on secure behaviour—not just track who opened the training email—this one's packed with fresh thinking, honest insights, and practical ways to rethink your approach.
The Awareness Angle: Interviews is our ongoing series of real, no-fluff conversations with the people reimagining how we approach security, risk, and human behaviour.
🕒 Timestamps
00:00 Fashion Essentials and Personal Style
02:57 Behavioural Science Insights
06:03 Understanding Human Behaviour
09:05 The Role of Training in Behaviour Change
11:53 The Impact of Compliance Culture
15:08 Reframing Security Awareness Training
17:59 The Challenge of Changing Behaviours
20:58 Nudge Theory and Behavioural Change
30:36 Understanding Nudges in Behavioural Economics
39:38 Present Bias and Its Implications
48:07 The Importance of Naming in Security Awareness
55:30 Framing Risks for Leadership Engagement
01:05:09 Customer Loyalty vs. Price Sensitivity
01:06:01 Behavioural Change: Fear vs. Reward
01:09:26 Primal Instincts and Behavioural Change
01:12:24 The Role of Positive Reinforcement
01:15:53 Fear and Reward in Cybersecurity Training
01:18:01 Creating Engagement Through Education
01:21:27 The Challenge of Standing Out
01:24:21 The Impact of Consistent Communication
01:29:28 Recommended Reads on Human Behaviour
💬 Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points
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🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© 16! by falling forever)
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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