Prebunking is proactive messaging that warns people about a misleading narrative before it takes hold. Instead of waiting for a false claim to spread and then correcting it, defenders explain the likely tactic, the emotional triggers, and the signs that a message is trying to manipulate attention or behavior.
In cyber security, prebunking matters because many attacks target trust rather than systems. Disinformation campaigns, phishing lures, and social-engineering posts often rely on urgency, repetition, and plausible details to make people act quickly. Prebunking reduces that impact by helping users recognize the pattern early, so they pause, verify, and report suspicious content. It is especially useful on social platforms, where false claims can be amplified faster than fact-checks can catch up.