Internet Addiction Disorder and Cybersecurity Risk: A Neurobiological and Behavioral Review

Internet addiction disorder (IAD) has attracted substantial clinical and scientific interest over the past two decades. Although the condition remains outside formal diagnostic frameworks in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, accumulating neuroimaging evidence demonstrates that compulsive Internet use is associated with disruptions in dopaminergic reward circuitry and prefrontal cortical function that closely parallel those observed in substance use disorders. These neurobiological changes, encompassing impaired executive function, elevated impulsivity, and heightened reward sensitivity, may carry implications for cybersecurity. Available evidence suggests that individuals exhibiting addictive patterns of Internet use show reduced compliance with security protocols, increased vulnerability to social engineering, and elevated engagement in risky online behaviors, although directionality cannot be established with confidence given the predominantly cross-sectional evidence base. The present narrative review synthesizes evidence from addiction neuroscience, clinical psychology, and cybersecurity research to propose a mechanistic account of the IAD-cybersecurity risk relationship. The review identifies impaired prefrontal inhibitory control as the central neurobiological mediator linking IAD to cybersecurity vulnerability, mediated primarily through impulsivity and compounded by the attentional and affective characteristics that render addicted individuals susceptible to social engineering. Drawing on literature spanning 2017-2026, the review also situates this account within a contemporary regulatory context, including the documented acceleration of problematic Internet use during the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia's landmark social media minimum age legislation, and an influential 2026 civil verdict in which a U.S. jury found major platform operators liable for harms arising from addictive design. Clinical, organizational, and policy implications are discussed.