Monash cyberpsychology researcher honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
Professor Monica Whitty from Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology has received the Cyberpsychology Lifetime Achievement Award at the 28th Annual CyberPsychology, CyberTherapy & Social Networking Conference (CYPSY28), in recognition of her outstanding achievements in cyberpsychology and cyber security.
Hosted by IDCARE, the international conference brought together international researchers, policymakers and clinicians to explore the latest advancements in the field, ranging from cyber scams, cyberbullying and disinformation, to the use of AI in therapy.
Professor Whitty gave the opening keynote address, delivering a presentation titled ‘Understanding the psychology of cyberscams: Improving upon prevention, detection, disruption and aftercare’.
‘Tackling cybercrime requires understanding both the technical and human factors involved. The world is still catching up to the complexity of that intersection, and my goal is to bring more awareness and a nuanced understanding to this space,’ said Professor Whitty.
A pioneer in the field of cyberpsychology, Professor Whitty has shaped the discipline over a distinguished career of more than 25 years. Professor Whitty has secured more than $25 million in funding and authored over 100 academic papers and five books on the subject.
Her work has shaped policy and intervention tools across Australia and the United Kingdom, particularly in the detection, prevention and disruption of cyber fraud.
Specialising in romance and investment scams, Professor Whitty has served as an expert witness in more than 10 international cybercrime cases, including the ongoing case of an Australian in Japan accused of drug smuggling.
She currently works as a Professor of Human Factors in Cybersecurity in the Department of Software Systems and Cybersecurity in the Faculty of IT. She is also a member of the College of Experts at IDCARE where she supervises students working on real-world cybercrime research cases.
‘As a world-leading authority on human-factor cybersecurity, this award is a testament to the impact Professor Whitty has already made through her interdisciplinary expertise – and the important work she continues to do to create positive change in society,’ said Professor Ann Nicholson, Dean of the Faculty of IT.