Behavioral Science Intern- Job description

Role Overview

In this role, you will help shape content specifically designed for our customers, who will use this material to educate their employees on best security practices. The content you develop will encourage a variety of behaviors that enhance organizational security, including but not limited to:

• Reporting mistakes and incidents
• Handling sensitive data with care
• Experimenting with generative AI tools while maintaining a risk-aware mindset
• Adopting secure behaviors such as using strong passwords, avoiding phishing attempts, and following data privacy best practices

Your behavioral science insights will be instrumental in designing content that motivates users to adopt these behaviors, ultimately fostering a culture of security within their organizations.

Key Responsibilities

• Content Development: Use behavioral science principles to design engaging training materials that promote a wide range of secure behaviors, such as reporting incidents, safeguarding sensitive data, and practicing risk-aware decision-making.
• Content Gap Analysis: Identify gaps in existing security training materials and propose innovative solutions to address them.
• Nudge Development: Collaborate with the team to create and refine nudges that adjust user behavior, focusing on default language, recommended frequency, and contextual relevance.
• Instructional Design Support: Assist in making current content more accessible through various design tasks that enhance user engagement and understanding.
• Behavioral Insights Application: Utilize behavioral science principles to design nudges that are subtle yet effective, ensuring they enhance user experience without being intrusive.
• Content Strategy: Develop content that supports the nudges, including tooltips, spotlights, and onboarding walkthroughs, to facilitate user engagement and feature adoption.
• User Journey Analysis: Analyze user behavior data to identify optimal moments for nudging, ensuring that prompts are timely and contextually relevant.

What You’ll Gain

• Practical Experience: Hands-on experience in applying behavioral science to real-world challenges in cybersecurity content design.
• Portfolio Development: Build a portfolio showcasing your ability to create impactful content and nudges that drive behavioral change.
• Mentorship: Collaborate with experienced professionals in content design and cybersecurity, gaining insights into industry best practices.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with experts in behavioral science, UX design, and cybersecurity.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Behavioral Science, Psychology, Communication, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of behavioral science concepts, particularly in the context of nudging and user behavior.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• General awareness of cybersecurity topics (e.g., phishing, data privacy) is beneficial, though a specific background in cybersecurity is not required.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights.
• Creative problem-solving skills and a passion for driving positive behavioral change.
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to work both independently and collaboratively.

DEI Statement

Cybersecurity is a community effort. That’s why we’re committed to building an inclusive, diverse community that celebrates and welcomes everyone – unless they’re a cybercriminal, of course.

We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and we’d encourage you to join us whatever your background. We particularly welcome applicants from traditionally underrepresented groups.

We consider everyone equally: your race, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, marital status, nationality, or any other protected characteristic won’t affect your application.

Due to certain obligations to our customers, an offer of employment will be subject to your successful completion of applicable background checks, conducted in accordance with local law.