How do everyday people view cyber risk?
Researchers from universities and the Alan Turing Institute report in a 2018 study that the way people view risks in cyberspace falls into four different categories:
- Relaxed (high risk taking ; low risk perception)
- Anxious (low risk taking; high risk perception)
- Opportunistic (high risk taking; high risk perception)
- Ignorant (low risk taking; low risk perception)
The study looked at internet users in the U.S. and the UK. Turns out U.S. users, overall, have a greater amount of "relaxed" users, who have a low risk perception of potential online threats and as a result take greater risks.
And the study found that in the UK, there is a higher concentration of "anxious" users, who have a high risk perception of cyber threats and as a result make fewer risky moves online.
Research suggests changes to security awareness campaigns
And researchers say security awareness campaigns would benefit from understanding the cyber personality types and the related behaviors they have labeled in the study:
"Identified types are highly correlated with individuals’ ability to accurately recognize cyber threats suggesting that information about cybersecurity risks should be tailored to different behavioral types when businesses design cybersecurity awareness campaigns."
Read the complete cybersecurity risk study for yourself: Cyber Domain-Specific Risk Attitudes Scale to Address Security Issues in the Digital Space.
