Figure 1.
The diagram depicts a flowchart detailing the decision-making process regarding whether to share a password in response to an offer from a stranger. It begins with receiving an offer from a stranger, leading to a situational evaluation that involves a cost-benefit analysis considering financial incentives versus potential password loss. It branches into two attitudes: risk aversion, characterised by distrust towards strangers, leading to an expectation that sharing the password is harmful, and risk seeking, marked by trust towards strangers, suggesting that sharing the password is worthwhile. The strategic choice resulting from this evaluation is either to not share the password or to share it, based on the assessed attitudes and expected utility. Boxes and arrows depict relationships and decision paths clearly.The pathways of the decision-making process in a social engineering situation.
Source(s): Authors’ contribution