Cybersecurity is often talked about in terms of rules, tools, and tech jargon. However, as a culture of security is created and maintained by people an unexpected humanistic element plays a large part in creating a strong security culture: empathy.
Yes, empathy. That very human skill we use every day on campus: when a professor helps a struggling student, when a staff member supports a colleague after a tough week, or when a student offers a friend a listening ear during finals. Empathy helps us connect, collaborate, and thrive.
And it also helps us stay secure.
Security is Personal
Last semester a staff member woke up to an inbox flooded with thousands of messages. Their email client slowed to a crawl and real emails were buried, and office workflows. They worried about the fallout, about missing real emails and what they may have done to cause this to happen, they hadn’t done anything.
Another time, a student was misled into believing that their Microsoft account would be turned off during midterms. This led to their account being compromised and a phishing email being sent from their account. It was an honest mistake, as bad actors are very convincing and take advantage of people’s fears. It was both stressful and embarrassing for the student to deal with the aftermath of this occurrence.
In both cases, no one was trying to be careless. They were busy, trying to keep up with their day, and seemingly targeted as someone with a digital presence online, just like the rest of us.
The difference in how we respond to these situations is what defines our campus culture. When we lead with empathy, we stop shaming people for making mistakes and start building a stronger, more supportive security mindset.
Why Empathy Makes Us Safer
Cybersecurity isn’t just about firewalls and password managers. It’s about how we treat each other when something goes wrong, and how willing we are to speak up and support one another before things go wrong.
Empathy helps us:
- Encourage questions, even when someone feels unsure
- Foster a culture where people report mistakes quickly, without fear
- Teach others with patience instead of frustration
- Recognize that everyone from students to the administration, can be a target of scams
Security is a shared responsibility. Here’s how empathy helps us all take part:
- Think before you click
If something seems off in an email, slow down. Ask a colleague, reach out to IT, or report it. Better to double-check than regret it later.
- Be supportive
If someone falls for a phishing scam or makes a security mistake, resist the urge to blame. Instead, help them report it and see it as a learning moment for everyone.
- Report suspicious activity
When you speak up, you might prevent the same thing from happening to someone else. You’re not overreacting, you’re protecting the community.
- Keep learning
Take the time to go through university provided training or tips. Even a few minutes can help you learn something new or bolster security skills you already have.
Empathy may not be a security tool you can download, but it might be the most powerful one we have. When we treat cybersecurity as a shared, human responsibility, everyone wins.
Let’s protect each other not just with strong passwords, but with stronger support, understanding, and care.
Contact the ITS Service Center if you need help.
Visit securecuse.syr.edu for more information on security practices at Syracuse. For assistance, call the ITS Service Center at 315.443.2677 or email help@syr.edu.