Information Security Needs Proper Employee Behavior

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Human end users are considered to be the weakest link in information security as failure to comply with information security policies remains one of the biggest threats to the organization. The goal of any policy within an organization is to influence the behaviors of employees in a way that benefits the organization. Information security cannot be achieved through technology. Information security governance seeks to influence employee behaviors to ensure that critical security policies and rules are followed. The discretionary nature of information security policy (ISP) compliance poses a challenge for policy makers. The latest research in behavioral information security The following research articles Benbasat, Bulgurcu and Cavusoglu (2010), Johnston and Warkentin (2010), Puhakainen and Siponen (2010), and Chen, Ramamurthy and Wen (2012) has focused on examining the beliefs, attitudes, and other factors which influence employees compliance of ISP.
Information Security Policy Compliance: An Empirical Study of Rationality-Based Beliefs And Information Security Awareness, was a research study conducted by Benbasat, Bulgurcu and Cavusoglu (2010) which examined several factors relating to employee ISP compliance behavior. The purpose of the study was to assess the role of information security awareness in shaping compliance-related beliefs and behavior in a constantly evolving threat environment. Using the theory of planned behavior, Benbasat, Bulgurcu and Cavusoglu (2010) proposed that an employee's attitude towards compliance is determined by his/her normative beliefs and attitudes, including one's and self-confidence in carrying out compliance related tasks. The hypothesis stated that the employee's attitude is shaped by ...

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...tion for organizations where sanctions are not effective in violating ISP. Chen, Ramamurthy and Wen (2012) recommend the implementation of a comprehensive enforcement system reflecting the general moral standards of the organization's culture. Participants from two financial organizations showed no significant difference in behavior.
A brief review the above-mentioned research studies regarding behavioral information security reveals the reoccurring theme of applying existing behavioral theory models to the information security context, with the theory of planned behavior being mentioned in the literature review sections of all of the research articles. All of the research studies seek to identify the factors that shape the attitudes and behavioral intentions of employee end users and all have significant implications for IT policymakers within organizations.

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