Final answer:
It is true that people collecting sensitive information exploit human error, as seen in studies like Bruno & Abrahão (2012) and incidents like the 2013 Target data breach. Increased cognitive load can impact the accuracy of decision-making, particularly in security-sensitive environments. The public concerns about personal information security have grown substantially, reflecting the importance of addressing human error in cybersecurity.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is true that people who collect sensitive and personal information will try to identify and exploit human error. In researching human factors psychology, studies have demonstrated the impact of cognitive load on the accuracy of decisions, particularly in the context of information security. For example, a study by Bruno & Abrahão (2012) highlighted how increased cognitive effort led to a higher rate of mistakes by operators in identifying real security threats within a banking institution's information security center. This finding is relevant, considering the growing concerns over personal information security online. The Pew Research Center reported a significant increase in internet users who are concerned about the amount of personal information about them available on the internet, alongside experiences of online harassment and theft of sensitive data like Social Security numbers.
This underscores the importance of understanding the role that human error plays in information security and the methods that malicious actors may use to exploit it. The case of the massive data breach at Target in 2013 serves as a stark reminder, where signs of a security breach were not correctly interpreted, enabling the breach to persist unnoticed for an extended period until the FBI alerted the company.