# People Ignore Security Warnings Because They Come at Bad Times



## JMH3143

> *Scientists from Brigham Young University (BYU) have conducted a study on the reasons why people tend to ignore computer security warnings and the most opportune moment to show these alerts.*
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> Researchers had people complete computer tasks while an fMRI device would record their brain activity. The BYU team discovered that neural activity decreased when security warnings interrupted the user from ongoing tasks.
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> The research showed that people focused on the security warning when the alert would come after or before an action. They explain this quirk because of our inability to multi-task.
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> *Alerts are inefficient because they interrupt users
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> * From all tested subjects, the BUY team says that 74 percent of people ignored the security messages when they were about to close a window, 79 percent ignored them when they were watching a video, and 87 percent disregarded the alerts when transferring information, such as a file, or entering a confirmation code.


People Ignore Security Warnings Because They Come at Bad Times


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