A Protection Motivation Theory Approach to Home Wireless Security

TLDR

Research on computer security has traditionally focused on employees, but the shift to ubiquitous home and public Wi‑Fi has broadened the context, and this study adopts Protection Motivation Theory. The study aims to identify the variables that influence home wireless network users’ decisions to implement security features. A survey of 189 home users was conducted to determine predictors that differentiate secure from insecure Wi‑Fi users. Analysis revealed that perceived severity, response efficacy, self‑efficacy, and response cost significantly predict whether users secure their home wireless networks.

Abstract

Research in socio-technical factors in computer security has traditionally focused on employees and their work practice within the premises of the organization. However, with universal access to computing and the diverse means of connecting such devices to each another and to the global Internet, work carried out has shifted outside one central physical location to encompass a variety of possible points-of-access that include homes, modern cafes, and public libraries. Given the ubiquity of wireless devices used for last-hop access to the Internet from home, we look at the security of home wireless networks. In this work, we identify the variables that affect the decision of home wireless network users to implement security features on their networks. Our study is based on the protection motivation theory. A survey was conducted on 189 home users to identify and characterize predictors that differentiate between users who secure their home wireless networks and those who don’t. Results of the analysis identified the following variables as significant: perceived severity, response efficacy, self efficacy, and response cost.