Using Sequential Exploratory Mixed Methods Design to Explore Readability of ISPs

Alkhurayyif, Yazeed; Weir, George R. S.

doi:10.1109/iccecome.2018.8659025

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…They mention that "there may be grounds for a readability compliance test that future ISPs must satisfy". In a later paper, Alkhurayyif and Weir [14] further examine the relationship between readability and ISP understanding, concluding that readability has a clear influence. As ISPs include cybersecurity controls and cover similar material, applying readability metrics to countermeasures might be beneficial.…”

Section: Readability Of Cybersecurity Countermeasuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Increasing readability could very well be a key to persuading users to implement these cybersecurity controls, as readability positively influences people's understanding of information security policies [13,14]. Several widely used readability formulas can be applied to give feedback on the readability of countermeasures before being exposed to end-users.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Effect of Countermeasure Readability on Security Intentions

Smit

Haastrecht

Spruit

2021

JCP

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Human failure is a primary contributor to successful cyber attacks. For any cybersecurity initiative, it is therefore vital to motivate individuals to implement secure behavior. Research using protection motivation theory (PMT) has given insights into what motivates people to safeguard themselves in cyberspace. Recent PMT results have highlighted the central role of the coping appraisal in the cybersecurity context. In cybersecurity, we cope with threats using countermeasures. Research has shown that countermeasure awareness is a significant antecedent to all coping appraisal elements. Yet, although awareness plays a key role within the PMT framework, it is generally challenging to influence. A factor that is easy to influence is countermeasure readability. Earlier work has shown the impact of readability on understanding and that readability metrics make measuring and improving readability simple. Therefore, our research aims to clarify the relationship between countermeasure readability and security intentions. We propose an extended theoretical framework and investigate its implications using a survey. In line with related studies, results indicate that people are more likely to have favorable security intentions if they are aware of countermeasures and are confident in their ability to implement them. Crucially, the data show that countermeasure readability influences security intentions. Our results imply that cybersecurity professionals can utilize readability metrics to assess and improve the readability of countermeasure texts, providing an actionable avenue towards influencing security intentions.

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Section: Readability Of Cybersecurity Countermeasuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%