Leafy sees

One potential form of a social engineering attack

is a human DDoS attack,

which can use viral media to overload social media users

with confusing and overwhelming content.

Such an attack could be part of an influence operation

in which malicious actors seek to manipulate public opinion and behavior.

To counteract these attacks, strategies from neuro pedagogy

can be used to help individuals build their cognitive and critical thinking skills.

For example, cognitive load theory can help users identify

the optimal amount of information they can handle simultaneously.

At the same time, de Saussure and Baudrillard’s hyperreality

and simulacra can be used to identify

and understand how media can distort reality.

Additionally,

the model of the three executive functions

(updating, inhibiting, and shifting)

and fear learning can be used to develop effective techniques

for identifying and responding to malicious information.

Integrating these strategies into educational

and awareness campaigns, social media users can develop

the skills to recognize and resist malicious influence operations

. Such campaigns can empower individuals to take a critical

and discerning approach to the content they encounter online

, thereby reducing the risk of human DDoS attacks

and other forms of social engineering.

Read more

• Baudrillard, J. (1994). Simulacra and simulation. University of Michigan press.
• Chojak, M. (2018). Neuropedagogy as a scientific discipline: interdisciplinary description of the theoretical basis for developing a research field. International Journal of Educational and Pedagogical Sciences, 12(8), 1085-1088.
• Cognitive load. (2023, January 17). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_load
• Denial-of-service attack. (2023, February 22). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack
• Executive functions. (2023, February 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_functions
• Pedagogy of the Oppressed. (2023, January 29). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy_of_the_Oppressed