Location
Online
Event Website
https://hicss.hawaii.edu/
Start Date
3-1-2023 12:00 AM
End Date
7-1-2023 12:00 AM
Description
A rich body of research examines the cybersecurity behavior of employees, with a particular focus on explaining the reasons why employees comply with (or violate) organizational cybersecurity policies. However, we posit that this emphasis on policy compliance is susceptible to several notable limitations that could lead to inaccurate research conclusions. In this commentary, we examine the limitations of using cybersecurity policy compliance as a dependent variable by presenting three assertions: (1) the link between policy compliance and organizational-level outcomes is ambiguous; (2) policies vary widely in terms of their clarity and completeness; and (3) employees have an inconsistent familiarity with their own organization’s cybersecurity policies. Taken together, we suggest that studying compliance with cybersecurity policies reveals only a partial picture of employee behavior. In response, we offer recommendations for future research.
Recommended Citation
Cram, W. Alec and D'Arcy, John, "Barking Up the Wrong Tree? Reconsidering Policy Compliance as a Dependent Variable within Behavioral Cybersecurity Research" (2023). Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2023 (HICSS-56). 4.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-56/in/behavioral_is_security/4
Barking Up the Wrong Tree? Reconsidering Policy Compliance as a Dependent Variable within Behavioral Cybersecurity Research
Online
A rich body of research examines the cybersecurity behavior of employees, with a particular focus on explaining the reasons why employees comply with (or violate) organizational cybersecurity policies. However, we posit that this emphasis on policy compliance is susceptible to several notable limitations that could lead to inaccurate research conclusions. In this commentary, we examine the limitations of using cybersecurity policy compliance as a dependent variable by presenting three assertions: (1) the link between policy compliance and organizational-level outcomes is ambiguous; (2) policies vary widely in terms of their clarity and completeness; and (3) employees have an inconsistent familiarity with their own organization’s cybersecurity policies. Taken together, we suggest that studying compliance with cybersecurity policies reveals only a partial picture of employee behavior. In response, we offer recommendations for future research.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-56/in/behavioral_is_security/4