Why do smart people ignore security rules? Often, it’s not about knowledge – it’s about belonging.

In the modern digital age, cyber threats are not just about technology – they are also about people. Beneath the firewalls and encryption layers lies a far older human force: our need to belong. This drive for group identity, which has shaped societies for millennia, now shapes how we behave online.

This is where cybersecurity meets anthropology – a lens that helps us understand why people in digital spaces form “cyber tribes” and how these tribal affiliations influence behaviours, risk perception, and even compliance with security practices.

From Campfires to Cyberspace

Humans have always gathered in groups, finding safety and meaning in shared identity. Today, that instinct is alive in the digital sphere. Online communities, fandoms, professional networks, and activist movements all function as digital tribes, bound by shared narratives, symbols, and behaviours.

In cybersecurity, this tribalism can be a double-edged sword:

  • Protective Tribes: Security communities that rally around best practices, open-source defence tools, and shared threat intelligence.
  • Risk-Prone Tribes: Groups that normalise unsafe practices – such as using cracked software, sharing passwords within friend circles, or following influencers who dismiss security warnings.

Social Identity and Cyber Behaviour

The Social Identity Theory suggests that much of our behaviour is influenced by the groups we identify with. In practice, this means:

  • People adopt the norms of their online tribe, whether secure or insecure.
  • Cyber risks can be amplified when unsafe behaviour becomes a socially accepted norm.
  • Peer influence often outweighs official corporate policies. If “the group” doesn’t take security seriously, individuals are less likely to comply.

This explains why culture change in organisations is so difficult; you’re not just asking people to follow rules, you’re asking them to shift tribal loyalties from their informal networks to the “cyber tribe” of secure behaviour.

Digital Tribalism and Risk Perception

Risk perception is not purely rational. Within tribes, risks are collectively framed:

  • Some online groups downplay cyber threats, reinforcing a sense of invulnerability (“It won’t happen to us”).
  • Others overemphasise certain risks, creating paranoia and distrust.
  • Narratives within tribes define whether security practices are seen as essential, optional, or even laughable.

For example, if a workplace team normalises sharing credentials for convenience, new members quickly adopt this as acceptable, not because they believe it’s safe, but because it signals belonging.

Why Security Needs Anthropologists

Traditional security models often assume rational individuals making logical choices. But in reality, security is social. To build resilient cultures, we must look at:


  • Tribal leaders and influencers: Who sets the norms in a group?
  • Rituals and narratives: What stories and shared practices shape behaviour?
  • In-group vs out-group dynamics: Does security feel like part of “us,” or something imposed by “them”?

By treating security like culture, organisations can leverage tribal dynamics rather than fight them.

Building a Positive Cyber Tribe

So, how do we harness tribalism for good?

  1. Create shared symbols of identity – Badges, language, and rituals that make security part of the ‘in-group’.
  2. Empower champions – Individuals who embody secure behaviour and influence their tribe.
  3. Narratives that matter – Stories of resilience, near-misses, and collective wins that make security meaningful.
  4. Psychological safety – A culture where reporting mistakes strengthens the tribe rather than punishes its members.

When security becomes part of group pride, adherence stops feeling like compliance and starts feeling like belonging.

Final Thought

In the end, cybersecurity is not just about protecting systems – it’s about protecting tribes. Understanding digital tribalism gives us a powerful tool to shift collective behaviours, align identities, and make safe practices the natural expression of belonging.

The cyber tribe is here. The question is: will your tribe make you safer, or more vulnerable?


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