Nudging Online Security Behaviour with Warning Messages: Results from an Online Experiment

Rene van Bavel and Nuria Rodriguez-Priego

No JRC103223, JRC Research Reports from Joint Research Centre

Abstract: This study is part of a larger effort to better understand online behaviour. We tested the effect on people’s security behaviour of different ways of warning them about cybersecurity threats with an online experiment (n=5,065) in Germany, Sweden, Poland, the UK and Spain. Participants had to make a purchase in a mock online store, and their behaviour was observed through 4 behavioural measures. Results show that making users aware of the steps they can take to minimise their exposure to risk is effective in generating more secure behaviour, as posited by protection motivation theory. Gain and loss-framed messages, and a message with a male anthropomorphic character, also had some effect on behaviour compared to the control group. The study included a questionnaire. Results suggest that more risk-averse participants will exhibit more cautious behaviour and that, on the whole, warning messages did not affect their knowledge of how to prevent cyber-attacks. Warning messages based on behavioural insights might not increase consumers' knowledge, but they can help improve their experience and build online trust.

Keywords: cybersecurity; nudging; online behaviour; behavioural economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 47 pages
Date: 2016-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe and nep-exp
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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