The Effects of Awareness Programs on Information Security in Banks: The Roles of Protection Motivation and Monitoring

Author(s):  
Stefan Bauer ◽  
Edward W.N. Bernroider
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Chen ◽  
Ofir Turel ◽  
Yufei Yuan

PurposeElectronic waste (e-waste) such as discarded computers and smartphones may contain large amounts of confidential data. Improper handling of remaining information in e-waste can, therefore, drive information security risk. This risk, however, is not always properly assessed and managed. The authors take the protection motivation theory (PMT) lens of analysis to understand intentions to protect one's discarded electronic assets.Design/methodology/approachBy applying structural equation modeling, the authors empirically tested the proposed model with survey data from 348 e-waste handling users.FindingsResults highlight that (1) protection intention is influenced by the perceived threat of discarding untreated e-waste (a threat appraisal) and self-efficacy to treat the discarded e-waste (a coping appraisal) and (2) optimism bias plays a dual-role in a direct and moderating way to reduce the perceived threat of untreated e-waste and its effect on protection intentions.Originality/valueResults support the assertions and portray a unique theoretical account of the processes that underline people's motivation to protect their data when discarding e-waste. As such, this study explains a relatively understudied information security risk behavior in the e-waste context, points to the role of optimism bias in such decisions and highlights potential interventions that can help to alleviate this information security risk behavior.


Author(s):  
Shuhaili Talib ◽  
Nathan L. Clarke ◽  
Steven M. Furnell

Good security cannot be achieved through technical means alone and a solid understanding of the issues and how to protect one’s self is required from users. Whilst many initiatives, programs and strategies have been proposed to improve the level of information security awareness, most have been directed at organizations. Given people’s use of technology is primarily focused between the workplace and home; this paper seeks to understand the knowledge and practice relationship between these environments. Through a developed survey, it was identified that the majority of the learning about information security occurred in the workplace, where clear motivations, such as legislation and regulation, existed. Results found that users were more than willing to engage with such awareness raising initiatives. From a comparison of practice between work and home environments, it was found that this knowledge and practice obtained at the workplace was transferred to the home environment. Given this positive transferability of knowledge and the willingness to learn about how to remain secure, an opportunity exists to move away from specific organizational awareness programs and to move towards awareness raising strategies that will develop an all-round individual security culture for users independent of the environment they are operating in.


2020 ◽  
Vol 338 ◽  
pp. 189-200
Author(s):  
Ildikó Legárd

Many researchers and experts in the field of information security agree that the user is the weakest link in an organization’s chain of information security. Even if the system’s and the stored data’s physical and logical protection is well developed, the human factor exposes security to significant risk. The effective protection against the threats is to provide security awareness through implementing a well-developed and successful Information Security Awareness Program. Although organizations are able to recognize the importance of information security awareness, the implementation of the awareness programs can be difficult. The aim of this study is to help organizations to develop an effective Information Security Awareness Program tailored to the characteristics of the organization. The paper presents how we can build a program that influences and improves the user’s knowledge, attitude and behavior the most towards information security and makes positive changes in the security culture of an organization. To achieve that goal, the study identifies the key elements of the implementation, compares traditional awareness programs with modern trainings and highlights the importance of communication channels and methods. There is no single solution to improve information security, the essay summarizes and shows the most effective techniques that experts can use in order to seize the user’s attention toward information security, to establish credibility and trust, and to motivate action.


Author(s):  
Shuhaili Talib ◽  
Nathan L. Clarke ◽  
Steven M. Furnell

Good security cannot be achieved through technical means alone and a solid understanding of the issues and how to protect one’s self is required from users. Whilst many initiatives, programs and strategies have been proposed to improve the level of information security awareness, most have been directed at organizations. Given people’s use of technology is primarily focused between the workplace and home; this paper seeks to understand the knowledge and practice relationship between these environments. Through a developed survey, it was identified that the majority of the learning about information security occurred in the workplace, where clear motivations, such as legislation and regulation, existed. Results found that users were more than willing to engage with such awareness raising initiatives. From a comparison of practice between work and home environments, it was found that this knowledge and practice obtained at the workplace was transferred to the home environment. Given this positive transferability of knowledge and the willingness to learn about how to remain secure, an opportunity exists to move away from specific organizational awareness programs and to move towards awareness raising strategies that will develop an all-round individual security culture for users independent of the environment they are operating in.


2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 38-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zakarya A. Alzamil

Information security awareness is human and organizational attitudes which can be described as a behavior or an attitude of an organization and/or its members towards protecting the organization’s information assets. The goal of this paper is to understand the state of the information security awareness at some of the Saudi Arabians’ organizations, i.e., governments and privates by investigating the perception of their information technology’s employees. The author believes that understanding the state of information security awareness of IT employees can give a better understanding of the level of awareness at the entire organization. The results of this study show that most of the IT employees at the surveyed organizations have some misconceptions about information security practices. In addition, many responses indicated that many IT employees are not aware of the internal information security threats. Such results required very urgent actions from the top management of these organizations to consider the information security awareness programs within their public relations and training programs.


Author(s):  
Gary Hinson

This chapter highlights the broad range of factors that are relevant to the design of information security awareness programs, primarily by reference to the literature. It emphasizes the need to supplement technical information security controls with security awareness, training and educational activities to address human vulnerabilities. It outlines requirements noted in standards, laws and regulations, and explains the value of motivational employee communications techniques in creating a security culture.


Author(s):  
Regner Sabillon

Traditional security education, training, and awareness (SETA); cybersecurity awareness programs; and information security awareness programs are falling behind to deal with the current cyberthreat landscape in any organizational environment. Human behaviors are the weakest links in cybersecurity, especially in situations where cyberthreats are not isolated, blocked, or reported to the information security specialists for further action. Moreover, the study compares recent awareness frameworks, approaches, and methodologies. An extended research that includes an awareness training model to deal with existing challenges when delivering cybersecurity to different levels of positions in any organization. The cybersecurity awareness training model (CATRAM) has been designed to deliver training to different organizational audiences, each of these groups with specific content and separate objectives. The study concluded by addressing the need for future and innovative research to target new approaches to keep cybersecurity awareness focused on the everchanging cyberthreat landscape.


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