The Butterfly Effect and the End User: How Small Actions Have a Big Impact on Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a dynamic field shaped not only by technological infrastructures but also by the awareness and behaviors of end-users. This paper explores how user behavior in cybersecurity can be related to the concept of the "butterfly effect," where small and unpredictable changes may lead to significant and critical outcomes. The butterfly effect symbolizes the potential for minor actions in chaotic systems to cause major consequences. In this context, the article discusses how simple mistakes made by end-users on the internet can impact the entire cybersecurity ecosystem, much like a butterfly flapping its wings. End-users, through actions such as using weak passwords, clicking on suspicious links, or ignoring security updates, often represent the most vulnerable points of a security system. This paper emphasizes the importance of raising user awareness and highlights how such awareness has the potential to prevent large-scale cyberattacks.