Classification of the Psychological Traits Underlying User’s Vulnerabilities to Socio-engeneering Attacks

The paper is devoted to the theoretical consideration of psychological traits underlying user's vulnerability under the threat of socio-engineering attack, their properties and features. For the convenience of the subsequent studying of socio-engineering attacks and their prevention a detailed classification of psychological traits on various parameters is presented, including the way of proceeding, character of caused action of the user, etc. While constructing classification 2 main classes have been allocated: psychological characteristics and social and personal factors influencing the vulnerability of a person. Also, the further subdivision of these classes to subclasses is presented, vulnerabilities' interrelations have been determined and corresponding block diagrams and tables reflecting these characteristics are presented. What is more, indicators and scales of the users' vulnerabilities have been presented, their core parameters were revealed and summarized in the users' vulnerabilities complete list. The conclusion about the further direction of research based on the fulfilled work has been made in the end of the article.