Understanding cybersecurity behavioral habits: Insights from situational support

Hong, Yuxiang; Furnell, Steven

Abstract

© 2020 While the Internet has become an indispensable aspect of personal and professional lives, it has also served to render many individuals vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. Thus, the promotion of cybersecurity behaviors can effectively protect individuals from these threats. However, cybersecurity behaviors do not necessarily come naturally, and people need support and encouragement to develop and adopt them. A habit is an important factor that may motivate cybersecurity behaviors, but it has often been overlooked in past studies. To address this limitation, this study examined the formation of cybersecurity behavioral habits. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to analyze cybersecurity behavior survey data obtained from 393 college student participants. The results revealed the following: (1) efficacy and behavioral comprehensiveness predict cybersecurity behavioral habits; (2) efficacy has a positively impact on behavioral comprehensiveness; (3) situational support has a positive influence on efficacy. These findings suggest that cybersecurity behavioral habits can be formed by promoting the diversity of cybersecurity measures practiced (behavioral comprehensiveness) and efficacy.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 29, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Jan 7, 2021
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jan 11, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 8, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Information Security and Applications
• Electronic ISSN: 2214-2126
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 57
• Article Number: 102710
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jisa.2020.102710
• Keywords: Computer Networks and Communications; Software; Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5222772
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214212620308553
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Understanding cybersecurity behavioral habits: Insights from situational support; Journal Title: Journal of Information Security and Applications; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jisa.2020.102710; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.