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Human Factor

What is Human Factor?

The element of cybersecurity risk related to human behavior, decision-making, and susceptibility to social engineering attacks.

Information Security

What the standards actually require on human factor

Requirements naming human factor across 5 standards, quoted from the control text.

Address human factors including fatigue, stress, training, and welfare to sustain responder effectiveness during prolonged incidents.

ISO22320-9.1 · Human Factors and Welfare

Address human factors during engineering, including usability of security controls, error tolerance, and operator workload, to reduce the likelihood of human-induced compromise.

SE-HF · Human Factors in Secure Systems Engineering

Program 3 processes must conduct PHA using HAZOP, What-If, FMEA, Fault Tree, or equivalent methodology by a team including operations expertise.

epa-rmp-40-cfr-68::68.67 · Process Hazard Analysis with 5-year revalidation

Assess threats and vulnerabilities affecting ICT continuity, including environmental, technical, supplier and human factors.

27031-6.3 · Risk Assessment for ICT Continuity

Human Oversight is mandated by the Human-Centric Principle (1st of 10 Principles) per Japan AI Guidelines for Business + reinforced by APPI 2022 Amendment Article 21-2 right to human review + intersects with Hiroshima AI Process Code of Conduct.

JP-AIG-Human-Oversight-Control-In-the-Loop-On-the-Loop-Article-22-GDPR-Equivalent-Automated-Decision-Restrictions · Japan AI Guidelines Human Oversight + Human-in-the-Loop + Human-on-the-Loop + Human-out-of-Loop + Article 22 GDPR Equivalent APPI Automated Decision Restrictions + Override Capability + Pause Functionality + Audit Trail

Questions people ask about human factor

What is Human Factor?
The element of cybersecurity risk related to human behavior, decision-making, and susceptibility to social engineering attacks.
Why is Human Factor important for compliance?
Human Factor is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding human factor helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Human Factor?
Human Factor appears in the requirement text of ISO 22320:2018, NIST SP 800-160, EPA Risk Management Program (40 CFR Part 68), ISO/IEC 27031:2011, Japan AI Guidelines. Across these standards we have identified 5 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Human Factor?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how human factor applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Human Factor applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.