Högskolan i Skövde

As cybersecurity threats become increasingly sophisticated, human behaviour plays a critical role in protecting digital assets. Traditional cybersecurity strate-gies focus on technological defences, but cognitive science offers new insights into improving security behaviours. This study investigates the impact of short-term cognitive interventions, specifically focused breathing exercises, on pass-word creation and risk evaluation. Using an experimental design with 100 par-ticipants, the research examines whether brief cognitive exercises enhance atten-tion control and security decision making. Findings suggest that cognitive inter-ventions lead to stronger password practices and improved detection of phishing risks, demonstrating the potential for integrating psychological strategies into cybersecurity training. By bridging cognitive science with cybersecurity aware-ness, this study contributes to human-centered security approaches that support better decision making in digital environments.