The Internet of Things: The Effects of Security Attitudes and Knowledge on Security Practices

The paper examines the influence of the Internet of Things (IoT) users’ security attitudes and security knowledge on their security practices, which has not been a subject of prior studies. Specifically, we focus on how knowledgeable individuals are about the security vulnerabilities present in IoT devices and how this knowledge affects their attitudes towards security and their willingness to own specific IoT devices. The researchers administered a survey to a convenience sample of 185 undergraduate business students investigating security vulnerabilities of three IoT devices—smart speakers, smart locks and IoT security cameras. This exploratory research aims to contribute to the existing literature in behavioral information security by providing preliminary insights into the relationship between IoT users’ security attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors, with implications for the IoT device manufacturers and the information security scholars.