While extant literature on privacy in social networks is plentiful, issues pertaining to information security remain largely unexplored. This paper empirically examines the relationship between online victimisation and users' activity and perceptions of personal information security on social networking services (SNS). Based on a survey of active users, we explore how behavioural patterns on social networks, personal characteristics and technical efficacy of users impact the risk of facing online victimisation. Our results suggest that users with high-risk propensity are more likely to become victims of cybercrime, whereas those with high perceptions of their ability to control information shared on SNS are less likely to become victims. The study shows that there is a negative and statistically significant association between multipurpose dominant SNS (e.g. Facebook, Google+) usage and victimisation. However, activity on the SNS for knowledge exchange (e.g. LinkedIn, Blogger) has a positive and statistically significant association with online victimisation. Our results have implications for practice as they inform the social media industry that protection of individual information security on SNS cannot be left entirely to the user. The importance of user awareness in the context of social technologies plays an important role in preventing victimisation, and social networking services should provide adequate controls to protect personal information.

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThis paper uses a survey of social networking users to empirically explore their perceptions of security notices -independently verified artefacts informing internet site users that security measures are taken by the site owner. We investigate such factors as purchase experience, purchase intention, risk propensity, usage of various social network categories and user victimisation. The results suggest a strong positive link between purchase intention and paying attention to security notices/features on social networks. We find that higher use of narrow-purpose social networking services has a negative association with paying attention to security notices. We also show that users with higher risk propensity pay less attention to security notices/features. Finally, we find no association between purchase experience, user victimisation and perception of security notices/features. Our results provide new, and possibly more refined, evidence of the factors that influence the attention paid to security notices/features by social media users. The results have important implications for theory development, policy and practice.

Purpose Today’s world of digital and mobile media does not require actual physical contact, between the suitable target and the motivated offender, as with traditional crime. In fact, as Mesch (2009) contended that the internet is not merely an information channel but it creates a new space of activities for children, where they are exposed to motivated offenders and the actors of fourth party. Therefore, for the sake of children’s safety, the practice of parental mediation control is increasingly becoming more pertinent everyday. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine how parental mediation control in Sri Lanka is influenced by their internet self-efficacy, their experience as online victims and their trust in online users. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a unique data set of computer and internet users from Sir Lanka to examine parental intervention in their children’s online activities. Specifically, the data set contains 347 responses from computer and internet users. To analyze the data, the authors use a binary dependent (probit) model. Findings The results show that such factors alter the baseline probability of parental intervention. However, some differences are found between younger and older parents, with the latter group responding more to trust in online users and victimization experience while the former is mainly driven from computer self-efficacy. In particular, the older group is less likely to trust online internet users in terms of never adding unknown persons in the social media. Finally, being self-employed and an older parent has a positive effect on the likelihood of adopting parental controls, possibly because of the non-pecuniary attributes of self-employment. Originality/value This study adds to the emerging parental mediation control literature by looking at the likelihood of younger and older parents who were victims of cybercrimes, who have greater internet self-efficacy and lower online third-party trust to adopt parental mediation control behaviors. Also another contribution to the literature is the role of occupation type on parental monitoring behaviors.

Recent years show an increase in the popularity of online social networking among the younger generation that opens up possibilities for educators to use it as a higher education platform. The focus of this paper is to highlight some open research questions in the context of knowledge management in higher education with the use of online social networking. Analysis of current research reveals that social networking sites are a useful tool in teaching and learning as well as in employability and career management of students. However, research is limited in terms of the applicability of social networking sites in other parts of the student life cycle including lifelong learning. The possibility of using online social networking in knowledge management, particularly in the area of knowledge accumulation and knowledge sharing is yet to be properly addressed by researchers. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to draw attention to some implications of exploiting knowledge resources with online social networking for HE institutions.