ABSTRACT

Individual internet users are commonly considered the weakest links in the cybersecurity chain. One reason for this is that they tend to be overoptimistic regarding their own online safety. To gain a better understanding of the cognitive processes involved in this assessment, the current study applies an extended version of the protection motivation theory. More specifically, this study includes perceived knowledge and internet trust to discover how these antecedents influence the threat and coping appraisal processes. Based on representative survey data collected from 967 respondents, we found that people who feel well-informed about online safety feel less vulnerable to cybercrime and are less inclined to take security measures. At the same time, feeling informed is associated with being more convinced of the severity of cybercrime. High levels of trust in the safety of the internet are linked to the feeling that one is less vulnerable to cybercrime and the perception that cybercrime is not a severe threat. Future interventions should remind internet users about their own perceived vulnerability and the risks that exist online while ensuring that internet users do not lose their trust in the internet and confidence in their own online knowledge.

摘要

个人互联网用户通常被认为是网络安全链中最薄弱的环节。原因之一是他们往往对自己的在线安全过于乐观。为了更好地理解本评估中涉及的认知过程，本研究应用了保护动机理论的扩展版本。更具体地说，这项研究包括感知知识和互联网信任，以发现这些前因如何影响威胁和应对评估过程。根据从 967 名受访者收集的代表性调查数据，我们发现，对网络安全有充分了解的人感觉不太容易受到网络犯罪的影响，也不太愿意采取安全措施。同时，感觉知情与更加确信网络犯罪的严重性有关。对互联网安全的高度信任与人们不太容易受到网络犯罪的影响以及认为网络犯罪不是严重威胁的感觉有关。未来的干预措施应提醒互联网用户他们自己感知到的脆弱性和在线存在的风险，同时确保互联网用户不会失去对互联网的信任和对自己在线知识的信心。