Dr. Anita D'Amico's testimony before the U.S. House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Education last June is the subject of a recent APA story. Appearing in the September 2009 (Vol 40:8) issue of Monitor (print and online), the APA's Geoff Mumford reported on Dr. D'Amico's attempt to underscore "that psychology must play a key role in the evolution of cyber security."  Mumford, who directs the APA's Science Government Relations Office, includes several specific recommendations D'Amico made to the Committee.

The story concludes with the hope that conferences such as the National Academy of Sciences July 2009 workshop would facilitate the role of psychological science by embedding usability considerations in security and privacy technologies. The APA report on D'Amico's appearance before the committee ends with an observation about the scarcity of psychologists in cyber security research: "With sustained effort, cross-fertilization opportunities such as those at the NAS should provide D'Amico with more psychologist friends."

Dr. D'Amico is the Director of Applied Visions' Secure Decisions Division. She was recommended to testify by the APA's Science Directorate Government Relations staff.

NEW!  Read the complete article.  The article is copyright © by the American Psychological Association.  Reproduced by permission.  The official citation that should be used in referencing this material follows.  No further reproduction or distribution is permitted without written permission from the American Psychological Association:

G. Mumford, "Preventing cyber attacks," Monitor on Psychology, vol. 40, no. 8, pp. 20-21, September 2009. [Online]. Available: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/09/cyber-attacks.html. [Bibtex]

Monitor on Psychology is a primary membership benefit of the American Psychological Association (APA). APA is a 150,000-member scientific and professional association representing psychology in the United States.  It is the largest such organization in the world.