Consumer perceptions of personal cyber awareness, knowledge, and risk

Abstract

Despite the effectiveness and increasing proliferation of security controls designed to protect personal and sensitive information, there is increasing recognition that humans are susceptible to cyber exploitation and thus, individual users are deemed a causal element of personal cyber risk. Exposing personal perceptions and capabilities, such as cyber awareness and knowledge, is crucial to understanding personal cyber risks and allowing a holistic interpretation of an individual's cyber risk profile. This study uses a survey comprising n = 263 participants to explore to what extent awareness influences cyber knowledge and thereby impacts the level of personal cyber risk. We find that personal cyber awareness positively influences knowledge and personal cyber risk, whereas awareness independently fails to impact personal cyber risk, suggesting that knowledge acts as an influential mediator when determining an individual's personal cyber risk profile. Further, this paper acknowledges the importance of consistent definitions and addresses upfront a notable gap by defining personal cyberspace - a critical and foundational prerequisite to any research focused on the human cyber condition. The study contributes by proposing a unique definition of personal cyberspace, a conceptual model articulating an individual's personal cyber risk profile, and extending extant knowledge about relationships among personal cyber awareness, knowledge, and risk.