Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
10-2021
Abstract
Purpose: Phishing attacks are the most common cyber threats targeted at users. Digital nudging in the form of framing and priming may reduce user susceptibility to phishing. This research focuses on two types of digital nudging, framing and priming, and examines the impact of framing and priming on users' behavior (i.e. action) in a cybersecurity setting. It draws on prospect theory, instance-based learning theory and dual-process theory to generate the research hypotheses. Design/methodology/approach: A 3 × 2 experimental study was carried out to test the hypotheses. The experiment consisted of three levels for framing (i.e. no framing, negative framing and positive framing) and two levels for priming (i.e. with and without priming). Findings: The findings suggest that priming users to information security risks reduces their risk-taking behavior, whereas positive and negative framing of information security messages regarding potential consequences of the available choices do not change users' behavior. The results also indicate that risk-averse cybersecurity behavior is associated with greater confidence with the action, greater perceived severity of cybersecurity risks, lower perceived susceptibility to cybersecurity risks resulting from the action and lower trust in the download link. Originality/value: This research shows that digital nudging in the form of priming is an effective way to reduce users' exposure to cybersecurity risks.
Keywords
Cybersecurity, framing, priming, digital nudging, information security, user behavior
Discipline
Databases and Information Systems | Information Security
Research Areas
Data Science and Engineering
Publication
Organizational Cybersecurity Journal
Volume
19
Issue
1
First Page
69
Last Page
91
ISSN
2635-0270
Identifier
10.1108/OCJ-03-2021-0009
Publisher
Emerald
Citation
SHARMA, Kavya; ZHAN, Xinhui; NAH, Fiona Fui-hoon; SIAU, Keng; and CHENG, Maggie X..
Impact of digital nudging on information security behavior: An experimental study on framing and priming in cybersecurity. (2021). Organizational Cybersecurity Journal. 19, (1), 69-91.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sis_research/9526
Copyright Owner and License
Author-CC-BY
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1108/ocj-03-2021-0009