Her work examines how people make security decisions, how social influence and digital deception shape behaviour, and how protective measures can become clearer and more actionable.
The human factor as part of security architecture
Dr. Cori Faklaris studies cybersecurity through the lens of human-computer interaction. Her work asks not only whether a safeguard functions technically, but also whether people can understand it, trust it and use it in everyday life.
She describes her current focus as cognitive security: research into security and privacy decisions, social influences on behaviour, phishing and scam susceptibility, security anxiety, human-AI interaction and adaptive interfaces. Her approach combines qualitative, quantitative and research-through-design methods.
Making security behaviour measurable
With Laura Dabbish and Jason I. Hong, Faklaris developed SA-6, a compact scale for assessing people’s security attitudes. Published at USENIX SOUPS 2019, the work validated six survey items across multiple samples and provides a comparable basis for studying attentiveness, attitudes and secure behaviour.
She completed her PhD at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute in 2022 with the dissertation “Toward a Socio-Cognitive Stage Model of Cybersecurity Behavior Adoption”. The work connects individual decision-making with social influence and the stages through which people adopt and maintain security practices.
Translating research into practical support
At UNC Charlotte, Faklaris directs the SPEX Research Group and serves as Faculty Director of the Cybersecurity Clinic. The clinic connects education with practical support for organisations that lack in-house resources for threat modelling and risk assessment.
Google Research lists her among the 2024 Research Scholar Program recipients for CYBERSECURITY BUDDY, a human-in-the-loop AI application designed to encourage security and privacy best practices. Further work addresses mobile scams, visual trust indicators and actionable protective interventions.
Why her work matters to the mission
Secure communication is dependable only when technical safeguards and human use are considered together. Dr. Cori Faklaris’ research brings exactly this perspective: security needs to be measurable, understandable and effective in real decision-making contexts.
Her support relates to the broader VENTEX mission. It is not a technical assessment of VENTEX Connect and is not evidence of the product’s security level.
Her role as a Mission Supporter
Dr. Cori Faklaris personally supports VENTEX as a Mission Supporter. The role includes no technical review, security validation, certification, advisory duties or operational responsibility.
Her academic and institutional affiliations are shown solely for transparent biographical context and do not constitute endorsement by the respective institution.