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Multitasking raises risk of phishing, study finds

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Multitasking raises risk of phishing, study finds


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In the information age, multitasking is often worn as a badge of honor. But according to new research led by Xuecong Lu, assistant professor of information security and digital forensics in UAlbany’s Massry School of Business, multitasking may also blind us to hidden threats, thereby increasing our chances of falling victim to cybercrime.

Published in the European Journal of Information Systems, Lu’s study centers on — designed to steal login credentials, personal information or money.

“Much of the existing research assumes that people are sitting quietly and focused when a phishing email arrives,” said Lu. “In reality, we are constantly multitasking—switching between messages, meetings and documents. That divided attention makes us more vulnerable.”

According to Forbes, criminals send an estimated 3.4 billion phishing emails every day. IBM has found that phishing-related breaches now cost businesses nearly $5 million per incident.

Cognitive load and phishing

The study used two experiments with nearly 1,000 participants to test how memory load affects phishing detection. When participants had to juggle complex memory tasks, their accuracy plummeted.

According to the research:

  • High memory load reduces detection: When people were asked to juggle challenging memory tasks, they were far more likely to miss the warning signs of phishing emails
  • Divided attention weakens judgment: Participants who split focus between multiple tasks struggled to separate legitimate messages from scams
  • Simpler tasks improve accuracy: When the mental load was lighter, participants caught phishing attempts more consistently

“This shows that cognitive load is a critical factor,” said Lu, who teaches in the Department of Information Security and Digital Forensics at UAlbany’s Massry School of Business. “When your brain is already busy, you are more likely to miss red flags in an email.”

Prompts and framing cues

The study also tested whether reminders could help people stay alert. A short warning, such as “Be cautious, some messages may be phishing attempts,” improved detection, especially for emails that promised rewards.

The authors found that:

  • Reminders refocus attention: A simple prompt was enough to offset some of the negative effects of multitasking
  • Reward-style scams need extra caution: Gain-framed emails offering prizes or perks were easier to fall for unless participants were reminded to be careful
  • Threatening messages drew scrutiny naturally: Loss-framed emails warning of penalties or account lockouts triggered more vigilance even without prompts

“These findings suggest that training and warning systems need to be context-aware,” Lu said. “We need interventions that reach people in the moment, when they are distracted and least able to spot danger.”

Smarter defenses

The financial stakes underscore why the research matters. According to IBM, the average cost of a phishing-related data breach is $4.88 million—a reminder that even a single click in a moment of distraction can be enormously expensive.

To reduce that risk, the study points to several practical strategies:

  • Train under : Cybersecurity training should include scenarios that mimic the distractions employees face in daily work
  • Build in just-in-time alerts: Pop-up reminders or security nudges can help users pause and reconsider before clicking
  • Recognize emotional manipulation: Teaching people how scammers exploit urgency or the promise of rewards makes them less likely to fall victim

“Our research underscores that people are the last line of defense,” Lu said. “Technology can filter out many threats, but attackers know that humans are the weak link. By understanding how attention and memory work, we can build smarter systems that protect users even when they are not fully focused.”

More information:
Xuecong Lu et al, Phishing detection in multitasking contexts: the impact of working memory load, goal activation, and message framing cue on detection performance, European Journal of Information Systems (2025). DOI: 10.1080/0960085x.2025.2548543

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Multitasking raises risk of phishing, study finds (2025, September 26)
retrieved 26 September 2025
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Top HBO Max Promo Codes for November 2025

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November 12, 2025

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Top HBO Max Promo Codes for November 2025


HBO Max is not just for The Sopranos anymore (but it is the only place to stream The Sopranos). Subscription video service HBO Max not only has The Sopranos, but other content from the best entertainment libraries, including: Warner Bros., Discovery Channel, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, and other brands.

We at WIRED also watch a lot of content—obviously, because we are always testing TVs, soundbars, and streaming devices—and regularly round up our newest favorites from HBO Max so that you’ll know what to watch once you nab an HBO Max promo code. Whether you’re wanting to watch an HBO original series like Succession or a smash hit movie like Barbie, HBO Max has the content you’re looking for, and WIRED has the perfect promo codes to help you save on these sometimes-pricey subscription plans.

50% Off HBO Max Promo Code for Students

Students rejoice, you don’t have to try to mooch off your friends’ parents’ HBO Max subscriptions anymore when you want to rewatch Euphoria for the 15th time (…not speaking from personal experience or anything). HBO Max is offering a Student Discount, where you can save and get 50% off subscriptions with a promo code. This means the price is only $5 a month. This discounted plan is eligible for The HBO Max Basic With Ads monthly plan, so you’ll get unlimited access to all of HBO, hit series, movies, news, sports, and more on up to two devices at once.

Save 35% by Bundling HBO Max, Disney+ and Hulu

This deal is honestly one of the best I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been thinking of switching as well, because with this Magic Bundle, you can get HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu for just $17 a month. (which is crazy because I pay that much alone for my Hulu! Again, I’m convincing myself while writing this that I should switch to this plan.) This crazy good deal is for those three streaming services with ads, but you’ll be saving 35% on the original price. If you’re impatient like me, you can get the same deal without ads for $30 a month, which is definitely higher than with ads but you’re still saving almost $19 a month with this Evergreen deal.

HBO Max Deals: Save up to $41

Like other streaming services, HBO Max has different tiers at different prices for streaming, so you can choose which one fits you (or your “household;” wink) best. Basic with ads allows you to stream on two devices at once in full HD for $10 a month. Standard is midrange, where you get everything from the previous basic plus 30 available downloads so you can watch on the go, for $17 a month. If you are impatient and a movie/TV buff, you might want to choose the premium, where you can stream on four devices at once, have 4k Ultra HD video quality, Dolby Atmos immersive audio, and 100 downloads to watch on the go for $21 a month.

HBO Max November 2025 New Shows and Films

HBO Max is known for being one of the most heralded platforms in entertainment. These new shows and films on HBO Max are sure to be a hit too. We’re most excited for Task, a new series set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, where an FBI agent heads a task force aiming to end the violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man. There’s also a new GOT-spin off series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, premiering January 18. Taking place a century before the events of Game of Thrones, set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory. There’s also Chair Company from the oddball mind of Tim Robinson, and IT: Welcome to Derry, a spin off set in the IT universe for fans of horror.

Stream Sports Games for Free With Your HBO Max Subscription

As an added bonus, you can also stream live sports through the B/R Sports add-on at no extra cost. This includes super popular events from the NBA, NHL, March Madness, MLB, U.S. Soccer, Bellator, and premier cycling events. Act soon though, because after the promo period, the add-on will be available for $10 a month.

Watch Your Favorite Shows on HBO Max for Free

Because HBO knows how tempting (and sexy) teasing can be, folks can sample episodes of new and fan-favorite original steamy series, like Euphoria, Industry, or The Idol for free without a subscription. When you inevitably get hooked (too soon after the Euphoria reference?) on that sweet, sweet content, you’ll need an HBO Max subscription to stream the full library. To continue to tease, you can stream nearly endless options, like House of the Dragon from the wildly popular Game of Thrones series, Dune, and my personal faves: The Last of Us, The Penguin, and Hacks, right now. Hurry, you don’t want to miss out on the shows everyone is talking about around the proverbial water cooler.



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Embee International adopts Coats Digital’s GSDCost Solution

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November 12, 2025

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Embee International adopts Coats Digital’s GSDCost Solution



Coats Digital is pleased to announce that leading global apparel manufacturer, Embee International Industries, has implemented Coats Digital’s GSDCost solution across its operations to eliminate inaccurate costing, streamline production processes, and boost competitiveness in international markets. The move forms a key part of Embee International’s digital transformation strategy to drive greater efficiency, improve quality, and strengthen partnerships with its portfolio of top global brands.

Embee International, a leading Egyptian apparel manufacturer, has adopted Coats Digital’s GSDCost solution to standardise work methods, ensure accurate labour costing, and boost efficiency.
The move eliminates manual costing errors, enhances production visibility, and supports its digital transformation to strengthen global competitiveness.

Headquartered in Ismailia, Egypt, with additional facilities in Suez, Port Said, and Alexandria, Embee International employs more than 12,000 people.  The company operates 4,800 sewing machines across 134 sewing lines and produces approximately four million units per month. Its diverse product range includes outer jackets, trousers, chinos, denim pants, shorts, leggings, underwear, tees, polos, shirts, and soft-shell jackets.

As a trusted supplier to brands such as Decathlon, Fruit of the Loom, LC Waikiki, Walmart, Calvin Klein, Skechers, Lee Wrangler, New Yorkers, and Defacto, Embee International is committed to operational excellence, ethical manufacturing, and sustainable growth.

Prior to adopting GSDCost, Embee International relied on manual time studies using stopwatches and inconsistent measurement methods. This led to inaccurate Standard Minute Values (SMVs), incorrect costings, unrealistic production targets, lengthy negotiations with buyers, and inefficient line balancing. It also faced high production costs due to non-standardised work methods, inconsistent quality from variations in operator techniques, frequent bottlenecks and missed delivery deadlines caused by poor production visibility.

Sherwin Ricky Jonas, Head-Industrial Engineering & CI said: “GSDCost delivers a clear, data-driven view of our production processes, allowing us to measure performance accurately, standardise work methods, and optimise resource utilisation. By enhancing workforce efficiency while upholding quality and compliance standards, it fosters seamless interdepartmental coordination, streamlines operations, and drives continuous improvement through informed decision-making.”

With GSDCost, Embee International can now produce precise, data-backed labour costings that improve buyer negotiations and optimise operator methods to reduce SMVs and increase efficiency. The company is building a robust digital SMV library to accelerate new style costing and planning while improving production visibility and line balancing. This transformation is enabling Embee International to create a more agile, scalable operation capable of meeting the fast-paced demands of the global apparel market and supporting long-term growth.

Diaa Hasham, Digital Manager, Sales, Coats Digital, added: “Embee International is a leading force in global apparel manufacturing, and we are thrilled that such a prestigious company has chosen Coats Digital’s GSDCost solution to drive its digital transformation. By optimising production processes through proven, scientific methods, Embee International is strengthening the resilience and efficiency of its operations. In a market where brands demand closer collaboration with fully digitised supply chain partners, GSDCost provides a common language for manufacturers and brands alike, helping to meet cost, quality, and delivery targets while promoting sustainable and ethical practices. We look forward to supporting Embee International throughout its digital transformation journey, so it continues to benefit from improved efficiencies, enhanced profitability, and a stronger position in the global apparel industry.”

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)



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IT services companies and datacentres face regulation as cyber security bill reaches Parliament | Computer Weekly

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November 12, 2025

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IT services companies and datacentres face regulation as cyber security bill reaches Parliament | Computer Weekly


Large organisations that provide IT services, including datacentres, will face regulation to ensure they have adequate cyber security and resilience plans, under laws being introduced in Parliament today.

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill (CSRB) aims to ensure critical services, including healthcare, water, transport and energy, are protected against cyber attacks, which cost the UK economy almost £15bn a year.

Under the proposals, medium and large IT services companies providing IT management, helpdesk support and cyber security to critical services face regulation for the first time.

They will be required to report potentially significant cyber security breaches to regulators and the National Cyber Security Centre within 24 hours, with a full report within 72 hours, and to notify businesses and individuals who use their services of the incident.

New government powers

The government will have new powers to instruct regulators and the organisations they oversee to take “specific, proportionate steps” to prevent cyber attacks where there is a risk to national security.

This could include requiring them to strengthen security monitoring of their systems or isolate high-risk systems to protect and secure essential services.

The proposed laws cover private and public sector providers of critical services, which, if attacked, could have “huge negative implications” for the economy.

Regulators will be given new powers under the bill to “designate” organisations that supply essential services, such as health diagnostics to the NHS or chemicals to a water firm, requiring them to meet minimum security requirements.

Ransomware payment ban

The legislation is also expected to include a ban on public sector organisations, such as councils, schools, the health service and operators of critical national infrastructure (CNI), making payments to ransomware crime gangs.

The government argues that recent cyber attacks on managed service providers (MSPs) show that laws are needed.

The Office of Budget Responsibility estimates that a cyber attack on critical national infrastructure could temporarily increase borrowing by over £30bn – equivalent to 1.1% of GDP.

Research published today shows the average cost of a significant cyber attack in the UK is over £190,000, equivalent to £15bn a year – some 0.5% of the UK’s GDP – across the economy.

In 2024, hackers accessed the Ministry of Defence’s payroll system through an MSP. The attack against pathology services provider Synnovis disrupted more than 11,000 medical appointments and procedures, with estimated costs of £30m.

The government said the bill “represents a step change” that will “help to deliver greater economic stability” and support investment in the UK’s cyber security sector, which contributed £13.2bn to the economy in the latest financial year. 

First floated in 2024, shortly after Labour’s General Election victory, the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill aims to improve the UK’s online defences, protect the public and safeguard economic growth.

In October, government ministers wrote to the CEOs of FTSE 350 companies urging them to make cyber risk a board responsibility, sign up to the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) cyber attack early warning service, and require companies in their supply chain to meet the NCSC’s cyber essentials security requirements.

NCSC CEO Richard Horne said the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill was a “significant step” towards “ensuring the nation’s most critical services are better protected and prepared”.

“The real-world impacts of cyber attacks have never been more evident than in recent months, and so we welcome the move to strengthen legislation and regulatory powers to help drive up the level of defence and resilience across critical national infrastructure,” he added.

Phil Huggins, national chief information security officer for health and care at NHS England, said the proposals would allow healthcare services to address the greatest risks and harms, including new powers to designate critical suppliers.

“Working with the healthcare sector, we can drive a step change in cyber maturity and help keep services available, protect data and maintain trust in our systems in the face of an evolving threat landscape,” he added.

Science, innovation and technology secretary Liz Kendall said the new laws would mean “fewer cancelled NHS appointments, less disruption to local services and businesses, and a faster national response when threats emerge”.



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