Multitaskers, beware: You’re significantly more likely to fall for phishing, researchers say

A Binghamton University study has found that multitaskers are likely to become phishing victims. (Pexels)

Employees can become more vulnerable to phishing when emails, instant messages and other information distract them, according to a new study.

Researchers at Binghamton University’s School of Management found that heavy multitasking makes detecting phishing “significantly worse,” according to a press release Thursday. The study was published last month in the European Journal of Information Systems.

Phishing occurs when a scammer uses phone calls, texts, emails or social media to steal sensitive information, or dupe people into clicking a malicious link or downloading malware, according to the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.

“When working with multiple screens, your attention will never be fully focused on one screen or one particular email, especially when handling urgent tasks,” study co-author Jinglu Jiang, an associate professor at the university in Vestal, N.Y., said in the press release.

“If you want to reply to that email quickly, ignoring those red flags in a phishing email is easy.”

The study involved 977 participants in experiments mimicking common multitasking scenarios. Researchers found participants’ ability to detect phishing improved when they introduced little reminders in daily tools, such as a coloured warning banner flagging a suspicious email.