A cognitive bias is a pattern of deviation in judgment that occurs in particular situations. Implicit in the concept of a "pattern of deviation" is a standard of comparison; this may be the judgment of people outside those particular situations, or may be a set of independently verifiable facts. The existence of some of these cognitive biases has been verified empirically in the field of psychology.

On a moment-by-moment basis we are faced with an environment that is in a continual state of flux, changing over time and space. Coherent and adaptive behavior in this complex environment is supported by the interplay of a variety of sensory, perceptual and cognitive systems. Attention provides a powerful coping mechanism that mediates the selective processing of information that is consistent with our current behavioral goals and intentions. The purpose of the research conducted in our lab is to clarify the perceptual, cognitive, and neural mechanisms of selective attention.

"biases in computer systems can be difficult to identify let alone remedy because of the way the technology engages and extenuates them. Computer systems, for instance, are compar- atively inexpensive to disseminate, and thus, once developed, a biased system has the potential for widespread impact. If the system becomes a standard in the field, the bias becomes pervasive. If the system is complex, and most are, biases can remain hidden in the code, difficult to pinpoint or explicate, and not necessarily disclosed to users or their clients. Further- more, unlike in our dealings with biased individuals with whom a potential victim can negotiate, biased systems offer no equivalent means for appeal."

Maintaining an orderly, peaceful, safe, and productive society will increasingly depend on maintaining trust in information systems. However, trust cannot be realized by technology alone. The notion of trust extends far beyond the narrow technical realms of information security. Engineering trustworthy systems requires an understanding of human psychology. It requires effective public policies and laws and must work within those policies and laws. It requires the right business models and incentives. And often, one needs all of these elements working in harmony. But the reality we witness today is different. Engineers work primarily with technical specifications to build information systems, and their success is often measured by purely technical metrics. This approach, by itself, does not address the broader issues that contribute to trust. To build a successful technology-enabled society, the entire cyber security paradigm must be re-examined and integrated with broader issues.

CRISSP combines security technology strengths with experts in psychology, law, public policy, and business from NYU. The goal of this center is to build new approaches to security and privacy that recognize that technology alone cannot provide the information security and privacy needed in today’s interconnected world. The center is founded by Anindya Ghose (NYU Stern), Ramesh Karri (NYU Poly), Nasir Memon (NYU Poly), Helen Nissenbaum (NYU Steinhardt), and Rae Zimmerman (NYU Wagner).

I've come across an internet treasure trove: Harvard's Mental Control Lab—tons of free PDF readings: #mindblown