This thesis explores how dedicating resources to people-focused security measures influences the likelihood of data breaches in the global financial industry. Although previous studies have connected broad cybersecurity practices to breach rates, few have zoomed in on investments in human capital as a risk-mitigation strategy for banks, financial technology firms (fintechs), and other financial institutions.

To fill this gap, we conducted a cross‐sectional quantitative survey of 50 security practitioners engaged via LinkedIn that reached seasoned security professionals across multiple countries. We then categorized responses on employee training, awareness campaigns, and dedicated security budgets.

This thesis observes patterns linking these investments to actual security breach events.

This thesis hypothesizes that firms allocating more to workforce security will report fewer incidents, though we expect factors like company size and regional regulation to modulate this effect. Our findings aim both to enrich academic discussions around the “people” dimension of cybersecurity and to offer practical guidance on crafting cost-effective, human-centered defenses. Future work might compare these results across other sectors or track changes over time to build on our initial insights.