We all run on two systems. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman called them System 1 and System 2: System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional, System 2 is slower, more deliberate, and more logical.

For most of history, one system covered for the other: speed got things done, while taking a minute caught what speed missed. Today, that balance is broken.

We move faster and question less than we ever have. Modern technology has been designed to reward speed and discourage hesitation. One-tap payments, face-scan approvals, and single-click confirmations teach us that stopping to think is a problem to be engineered away.

The same habits show up at work. Bank transfers, payroll, and sensitive data all move just as quickly. Now, a moment of unchecked speed is not just a small mistake; it can be the biggest risk in the company, and hackers are aware of this.

 

 

The eight-minute scam

A message comes in at 4:52 p.m. Your finance director asks for a transfer before a 5pm call. It’s short, clipped, urgent.

Every instinct says move. Now!

This is what happens when speed takes over. We focus on getting things done right away. We rarely stop to think things through anymore.

Scams like this usually rely on the same three tricks.

Urgency makes slowing down seem like a problem instead of a safety net. Authority can make it feel rude to question your boss. Embarrassment can make calling to confirm feel like you are overreacting.

None of this requires technical skill. It just depends on how quickly you react. In 2024, business email compromise (BEC) cost American organizations $2.77 billion, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

 

Time to hit the brakes

IIt’s time to slow down and let employees act safely. Earlier this year, the Sri Lankan Finance Ministry learned how costly it can be when speed and pressure come together.

Hackers stole over $2.5 million by using a fake domain. Fourteen officials approved the payment, but none paused long enough to spot the scam. This was not about carelessness. It shows what happens when a process is built for speed and no one is expected to slow things down.

If you are moving money, granting access, resetting credentials, or handling data and feel yourself rushing, take a second, engage system 2 and keep these tips in mind:

• Start the check yourself using the contact details you had before the message arrived, not the ones the message gives you.
• Get used to saying “let me check.” The real challenge is social, not technical. Saying this openly in your team is more valuable than another training session.
• Reward the pause. How you respond when someone double-checks with you will shape whether others do it in the future. Even a sigh can set the tone, whether you intend it or not.

These habits may seem small, but they are important. If you build the right culture, people will be recognized for more than just speed.

 

Restoring the balance

Being fast and being careful were never meant to be opposites.

These systems should work together, each supporting the other. But as technology has advanced and life has become more seamless, we have started to see being more deliberate as slow and costly, and have tried to remove it.

Slowing down was never a weakness. It was always our backup system.This article was written by Cywareness, a company specializing in cybersecurity awareness.

This article was written by Cywareness, a company specializing in cybersecurity awareness.

As part of its mission, Cywareness continues to monitor emerging trends, analyze real-world attacks, and share practical insights to help organizations stay ahead in today’s evolving threat landscape.