Assessing Protection and Security Awareness amongst Home Users |
Home users have become the most attractive target for cyber criminals as they are more vulnerable and less protected than the rest of the users. As they constitute a mostly inaccessible group the only information they get originates from people in their environment and their exposure to media. Therefore, the amount of information they possess, their awareness about security issues and their security practices play the key role in their protection. This paper presents the findings of a number of interviews with novice UK home users of different ages, educational level and occupation. These interviews were conducted in order to assess their security perceptions, their awareness of threats and security mechanisms, their practices in regard to security and study their opinions and thoughts of security issues in general. The results revealed a satisfying level of threat awareness and security practices which however were not enough to make users feel adequately protected or confident about their actions. They are counting too much on their friends’ advice, without wanting to search for more information on their own, thinking that they cannot afford the time and effort required. As a result, they feel somewhat at risk but believe they are taking all the necessary actions to prevent a bad ending.
Tsaganidi V-G, Furnell SM