skip to main content
article

User Awareness of Security Countermeasures and Its Impact on Information Systems Misuse: A Deterrence Approach

Published: 01 March 2009 Publication History

Abstract

Intentional insider misuse of information systems resources (i.e., IS misuse) represents a significant threat to organizations. For example, industry statistics suggest that between 50%--75% of security incidents originate from within an organization. Because of the large number of misuse incidents, it has become important to understand how to reduce such behavior. General deterrence theory suggests that certain controls can serve as deterrent mechanisms by increasing the perceived threat of punishment for IS misuse. This paper presents an extended deterrence theory model that combines work from criminology, social psychology, and information systems. The model posits that user awareness of security countermeasures directly influences the perceived certainty and severity of organizational sanctions associated with IS misuse, which leads to reduced IS misuse intention. The model is then tested on 269 computer users from eight different companies. The results suggest that three practices deter IS misuse: user awareness of security policies; security education, training, and awareness (SETA) programs; and computer monitoring. The results also suggest that perceived severity of sanctions is more effective in reducing IS misuse than certainty of sanctions. Further, there is evidence that the impact of sanction perceptions vary based on one's level of morality. Implications for the research and practice of IS security are discussed.

References

[1]
Ajzen, I., Attitudes, Personality, and Behavior, Dorsey Press, Chicago, 1988.
[2]
Alder, G. S., Noel, T. W. and Ambrose, M. L., "Clarifying the effects of Internet monitoring on job attitudes: The mediating role of employee trust," Inform. Management, v43, pp. 894-903, 2006.
[3]
Alm, J. and McKee, M., "Audit certainty, audit productivity, and taxpayer compliance," National Tax J., v59, pp. 801-816, 2006.
[4]
"2005 Electronic monitoring and surveillance survey," American Management Association, New York, 2005.
[5]
Anderson, J. C. and Gerbing, D. W., "Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach," Psych. Bull., v103, pp. 411-423, 1988.
[6]
Armstrong, J. S. and Overton, T. S., "Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys," J. Marketing Res., pp. 396-402, 1977.
[7]
Bachman, R., Paternoster, R. and Ward, S., "The rationality of sexual offending: Testing a deterrence/rational choice conception of sexual assault," Law Soc. Rev., v26, pp. 343-372, 1992.
[8]
Banerjee, D., Cronan, T. P. and Jones, T. W., "Modeling IT ethics: A study in situational ethics," MIS Quart., v22, pp. 31-60, 1998.
[9]
Baskerville, R. and Siponen, M., "An information security meta-policy for emergent organizations," Logist. Inform. Management, v15, pp. 337-346, 2002.
[10]
Berinato, S., "The global state of information security 2005," CIO Magazine, v15, pp. 60-72, 2005.
[11]
"Second annual BSA and IDC global software piracy study," Business Software Alliance, Washington, D.C., 2005.
[12]
Carnes, G. A. and Englebrecht, T. D., "An investigation of the effect of detection risk perceptions, penalty sanctions, and income visibility on tax compliance," J. Amer. Taxation Assoc., v17, pp. 26-41, 1995.
[13]
Chin, W. and Marcoulides, G. A., "The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling," Modern Methods For Business Research, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ, pp. 295-336, 1998.
[14]
Chin, W., Marcolin, B. L. and Newsted, P. R., "A partial least squares latent variable modeling approach for measuring interaction effects: Results from a Monte Carlo simulation study and an electronic mail emotion/adoption study," Inform. Systems Res., v14, pp. 189-217, 2003.
[15]
Christensen, A. and Eining, M. M., "Instructional case: Software piracy---Who does it impact?," Issues Accounting Ed., v9, pp. 151-159, 1994.
[16]
Cole, C. A., "Deterrence and consumer fraud," J. Retailing, v65, pp. 107-120, 1989.
[17]
Compeau, D. R. and Higgins, C. A., "Computer self-efficacy: Development of a measure and initial test," MIS Quart., v19, pp. 189-211, 1995.
[18]
Global Security Survey, New York, 2005.
[19]
Dhillon, G., "Managing and controlling computer misuse," Inform. Management Comput. Security, v7, pp. 171-175, 1999.
[20]
Diamantopoulos, A. and Winklhofer, H. M., "Index construction with formative indicators: An alternative to scale development," J. Marketing Res., pp. 269-277, 2001.
[21]
Dubin, J. A., Graetz, M. J. and Wilde, L. L., "The effect of audit rates on the federal individual income tax, 1977--1986," National Tax J., v43, pp. 395-409, 1990.
[22]
Global Information Security Survey, New York, 2003.
[23]
Falk, R. F. and Miller, N. B., A Primer for Soft Modeling, University of Akron Press, Akron, OH, 1992.
[24]
Ferguson, M., Sheehan, M., Davey, J. and Watson, B., Drink Driving Rehabilitation: The Present Context---A Road Safety Research Report, Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety, Brisbane, Australia, 1999.
[25]
Finch, J., "The vignette technique in survey research," Sociology, v21, pp. 105-114, 1987.
[26]
Finch, J. H., Furnell, S. M. and Dowland, P. S., "Assessing IT security culture: System administrator and end-user," Proc. ISOneWorld Conf., pp. 16-20, 2003.
[27]
Foltz, C. B., "The impact of deterrent countermeasures upon individual intent to commit misuse: A behavioral approach," 2000.
[28]
Forcht, K. A., Computer Security Management, Boyd & Fraser, Danvers, MA, 1994.
[29]
Fornell, C. and Larcker, D. F., "Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error," J. Marketing Res., v18, pp. 39-50, 1981.
[30]
The State of Data Security in North America, Cambridge, MA, 2007.
[31]
"Risky business: New survey shows almost 70 percent of e-mail-using employees have sent or received e-mail that may pose a threat to businesses," 2005.
[32]
Freeman, J. and Watson, B., "An application of Stafford and Warr's reconceptualisation of deterrence to a group of recidivist drink drivers," Accident Anal. Prevention, pp. 462-471, 2006.
[33]
Furnell, S. M., Gennatou, M. and Dowland, P. S., "A prototype tool for information security awareness and training," Logist. Inform. Management, v15, pp. 352-357, 2002.
[34]
Furnell, S. M., Dowland, P. S., Illingworth, H. M. and Reynolds, P. L., "Authentication and supervision: A survey of user attitudes," Comput. Security, v19, pp. 529-539, 2000.
[35]
Gaston, S. J., Information Security: Strategies for Successful Management, CICA Publishing, Toronto, 1996.
[36]
Gattiker, U. E. and Kelley, H., "Morality and computers: Attitudes and differences in moral judgments," Inform. Systems Res., v10, pp. 233-254, 1999.
[37]
Gefen, D. and Straub, D., "A practical guide to factorial validity using PLS-graph: Tutorial and annotated example," Comm. AIS, v16, pp. 91-109, 2005.
[38]
George, J. F., "Computer-based monitoring: Common perceptions and empirical results," MIS Quart., v20, pp. 459-480, 1996.
[39]
Gibbs, J. P., Crime, Punishment, and Deterrence, Elsevier, New York, 1975.
[40]
Glenn, D., Browne, G. J. and Wetherbe, J. C., "Why do Internet users stick with a specific web site? A relationship perspective," Internat. J. Electronic Commerce, v10, pp. 105-141, 2006.
[41]
Gopal, R. D. and Sanders, G. L., "Preventative and deterrent controls for software piracy," J. Management Inform. Systems, v13, pp. 29-47, 1997.
[42]
Grasmick, H. G. and Bryjak, G. J., "The deterrent effect of perceived severity of punishment," Soc. Forces, v59, pp. 471-491, 1980.
[43]
Grasmick, H. G. and Green, D. E., "Deterrence and the morally committed," Sociol. Quart., pp. 1-14, 1981.
[44]
Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L. and Black, W. C., Multivariate Data Analysis, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1998.
[45]
Hansche, S., "Designing a security awareness program: Part 1," Inform. Systems Security, v9, pp. 14-22, 2001.
[46]
Harrington, S. J., "The effect of codes of ethics and personal denial of responsibility on computer abuse judgments and intentions," MIS Quart., v20, pp. 257-278, 1996.
[47]
Hoffer, J. A. and Straub, D. W., "The 9 to 5 underground: Are you policing computer crimes?," Sloan Management Rev., v30, pp. 35-43, 1989.
[48]
Hollinger, R. C. and Clark, J. P., "Deterrence in the workplace: Perceived certainty, perceived severity, and employee theft," Soc. Forces, v62, pp. 398-418, 1983.
[49]
"U.S. Information Security Research Report 2005," 2005.
[50]
Jarvis, C. B., Mackenzie, P. M. and Podsakoff, P. M., "A critical review of construct indicators and measurement model misspecification in marketing and consumer research," J. Consumer Res., v30, pp. 199-218, 2003.
[51]
Kankanhalli, A., Teo, H.-H., Tan, B. C. Y. and Wei, K.-K., "An integrative study of information systems security effectiveness," Internat. J. Inform. Management, v23, pp. 139-154, 2003.
[52]
Keil, M., Tan, B., Wei, K. K., Saarinen, V., Tuunainen, V. and Wassenaar, A., "A cross-cultural study of escalation of commitment in software projects," MIS Quart., v24, pp. 299-325, 2000.
[53]
Kerlinger, F. N., Foundations of Behavioral Research, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York, 1986.
[54]
Kinsey, K. A. and Slemrod, J., "Deterrence and alienation effects of IRS enforcement: An analysis of survey data," Why People Pay Taxes, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, pp. 259-285, 1992.
[55]
Klepper, S. and Nagin, D., "The deterrent effect of perceived certainty and severity of punishment revisited," Criminology, v27, pp. 721-746, 1989.
[56]
Kohlberg, L. and Lickona, T., "Moral stages and moralization: The cognitive-developmental approach," Moral Development and Behavior, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, New York, pp. 31-53, 1976.
[57]
Lee, J. and Lee, Y., "A holistic model of computer abuse within organizations," Inform. Management Comput. Security, v10, pp. 57-63, 2002.
[58]
Lee, S. M., Lee, S.-G. and Yoo, S., "An integrative model of computer abuse based on social control and general deterrence theories," Inform. Management, v41, pp. 707-718, 2004.
[59]
Leonard, L. N. K. and Cronan, T. P., "Illegal, inappropriate, and unethical behavior in an information technology context: A study to explain influences," J. Assoc. Inform. Systems, v1, pp. 1-31, 2001.
[60]
Leonard, L. N. K., Cronan, T. P. and Kreie, J., "What influences IT ethical behavior intentions---Planned behavior, reasoned action, perceived importance, individual characteristics?," Inform. Management, v42, pp. 143-158, 2004.
[61]
Lin, T.-C., Hsu, M.-H., Kuo, F.-Y. and Sun, P.-C., "An intention model-based study of software piracy," Proc. 32nd Hawaii Internat. Conf. System Sci., IEEE Computer Society, Maui, HI, 1999.
[62]
Lindell, M. K. and Whitney, D. J., "Accounting for common method variance in cross-sectional research designs," J. Appl. Psych., v86, pp. 114-121, 2001.
[63]
Loch, K. D., Straub, D. and Kamel, S., "Diffusing the Internet in the Arab world: The role of social norms and techological culturation," IEEE Trans. Engrg. Management, v50, pp. 45-63, 2003.
[64]
MacCoun, R. J., "Drugs and the law: A psychological analysis of drug prohibition," Psych. Bull., v113, pp. 497-512, 1993.
[65]
MacMath, B. and Prentice-Dunn, S., "Protection motivation theory and skin cancer risk: The role of individual differences in response to persuasive appeals," J. Appl. Soc. Psych., v35, pp. 621-643, 2005.
[66]
Magklaras, G. B. and Furnell, S. M., "Insider threat prediction tool: Evaluating the probability of IT misuse," Comput. Security, v21, pp. 62-73, 2002.
[67]
Malhotra, N. K., Kim, S. S. and Patil, A., "Common method variance in IS research: A comparison of alternative approaches and a reanalysis of past research," Management Sci., v52, pp. 1865-1883, 2006.
[68]
Mason, R., "Four ethical issues of the information age," MIS Quart., v10, pp. 4-12, 1986.
[69]
McNees, M. P., Egli, D. S., Marshall, R. S., Schnelle, J. F. and Risley, T. R., "Shoplifting prevention: Providing information through signs," J. Appl. Behav. Anal., v9, pp. 399-405, 1976.
[70]
Nagin, D. S. and Pogarsky, G., "Integrating celerity, impulsivity, and extralegal sanction threats into a model of general deterrence and evidence," Criminology, v39, pp. 865-891, 2001.
[71]
Nienstedt, B. C., "Testing deterrence: The effects of a DWI law and publicity campaigns," 1985.
[72]
Panko, R. R. and Beh, H. G., "Monitoring for pornography and sexual harassment," Comm. ACM, v45, pp. 84-87, 2002.
[73]
Paradice, D. B., "Ethical attitudes of entry-level MIS personnel," Inform. Management, v18, pp. 143-151, 1990.
[74]
Parker, D. B., Fighting Computer Crime, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1998.
[75]
Paternoster, R., "The deterrent effect of the perceived certainty and severity of punishment: A review of the evidence and issues," Justice Quart., v4, pp. 173-217, 1987.
[76]
Paternoster, R., "Decision to participate in and desist from four types of common delinquency: Deterrence and the rational choice perspective," Law Soc. Rev., v23, pp. 7-40, 1989.
[77]
Patnayakuni, R., Rai, A. and Seth, N., "Relational antecedents of information flow integration for supply chain coordination," J. Management Inform. Systems, v23, pp. 13-49, 2006.
[78]
Peace, A. G., Galletta, D. F. and Thong, J. Y. L., "Software piracy in the workplace: A model and empirical test," J. Management Inform. Systems, v20, pp. 153-177, 2003.
[79]
Pechmann, C., Zhao, G., Goldberg, M. and Reibling, E., "What to convey in antismoking advertisements for adolescents: The use of protection motivation theory to identify effective message themes," J. Marketing, v67, pp. 1-18, 2003.
[80]
Peltier, T. R., "Implementing an information security awareness program," Inform. Systems Security, v14, pp. 37-49, 2005.
[81]
Pierce, M. A. and Henry, J. W., "Judgments about computer ethics: Do individual, co-worker, and company judgments differ?," J. Bus. Ethics, v28, pp. 307-322, 2000.
[82]
Podsakoff, P. M., Mackenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y. and Podsakoff, N. P., "Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies," J. Appl. Psych., v88, pp. 879-903, 2003.
[83]
Quazi, M. M., "Effective drug-free workplace plan uses worker testing as a deterrent," Occupational Health Safety, v62, pp. 26-31, 1993.
[84]
Richardson, R., CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey, Computer Security Institute, San Francisco, 2007.
[85]
Rogers, R., Cacioppo, J. and Petty, R., "Cognitive and physiological processes in fear-based attitude change: A revised theory of protection motivation," Social Psychophysiology: A Sourcebook, Guilford, New York, pp. 153-176, 1983.
[86]
Sacco, V. F., "Shoplifting prevention: The role of communication-based intervention strategies," Canadian J. Criminology, v27, pp. 15-29, 1985.
[87]
Silberman, M., "Toward a theory of criminal deterrence," Amer. Sociol. Rev., v41, pp. 442-461, 1976.
[88]
Skinner, W. F. and Fream, A. M., "A social learning theory analysis of computer crime among college students," J. Res. Crime Delinquency, v34, pp. 495-518, 1997.
[89]
Spitzmuller, C. and Stanton, J. M., "Examining employee compliance with organizational surveillance and monitoring," J. Occupational Organ. Psych., pp. 245-272, 2006.
[90]
Standage, T., "The weakest link," Economist, v365, pp. 11-16, 2002.
[91]
Stanton, J. M. and Weiss, E. M., "Electronic monitoring in their own words: An exploratory study of employees' experiences with new types of surveillance," Comput. Human Behav., v16, pp. 423-440, 2000.
[92]
Stanton, J. M., Stam, K. R., Mastrangelo, P. R. and Jolton, J., "An analysis of end user security behaviors," Comput. Security, v24, pp. 124-133, 2005.
[93]
Straub, D. W., "Effective IS security: An empirical study," Inform. Systems Res., v1, pp. 255-276, 1990.
[94]
Straub, D. W. and Nance, W. D., "Discovering and disciplining computer abuse in organizations: A field study," MIS Quart., v14, pp. 45-60, 1990.
[95]
Straub, D. W. and Welke, R. J., "Coping with systems risk: Security planning models for management decision making," MIS Quart., v22, pp. 441-469, 1998.
[96]
Strelan, P. and Boeckmann, R. J., "Why drug testing in elite sport does not work: Perceptual deterrence theory and the role of personal moral beliefs," J. Appl. Soc. Psych., v36, pp. 2909-2934, 2006.
[97]
Theoharidou, M., Kokolakis, S., Karyda, M. and Kiountouzis, E., "The insider threat to information systems and the effectiveness of ISO17799," Comput. Security, v24, pp. 472-484, 2005.
[98]
Tittle, C. R., Sanctions and Social Deviance: The Question of Deterrence, Praeger, New York, 1980.
[99]
"Conference on Trade and Development, Information Economy Report," 2005.
[100]
Urbaczewski, A. and Jessup, L. M., "Does electronic monitoring of employee Internet usage work?," Comm. ACM, v45, pp. 80-83, 2002.
[101]
Verespej, M. A., "Inappropriate Internet surfing," Indust. Week, v29, pp. 59-64, 2000.
[102]
von Hirsch, A., Bottoms, A. E., Burney, E. and Wikstrom, P. O., Criminal Deterrence and Sentence Severity: An Analysis of Recent Research, Oxford Publishing, Oxford, UK, 1999.
[103]
von Solms, R. and von Solms, B., "From policies to culture," Comput. Security, v23, pp. 275-279, 2004.
[104]
Wentzel, M., "The social side of sanctions: Personal and social norms as moderators of deterrence," Law Human Behav., v28, pp. 547-567, 2004.
[105]
Whitman, M. E., "Enemy at the gate: Threats to information security," Comm. ACM, v46, pp. 91-95, 2003.
[106]
Whitman, M. E., "In defense of the realm: Understanding the threats to information security," Internat. J. Inform. Management, v24, pp. 43-57, 2004.
[107]
Whitman, M. E. and Mattord, H., Principles of Information Security, Course Technology, Boston, 2005.
[108]
Whitman, M. E., Townsend, A. M., Alberts, R. J. and Khosrowpour, M., "Information systems security and the need for policy," Information Security Management: Global Challenges in the New Millennium, Idea Group Publishing, Hershey, PA, pp. 9-18, 2001.
[109]
Wiant, T. L., "Policy and its impact on medical record security," 2003.
[110]
Witte, D. and Woodbury, D., "The effect of tax laws and tax administration on tax compliance: The case of the U.S. individual income tax," National Tax J., v38, pp. 1-13, 1985.
[111]
Workman, M. and Gathegi, J., "Punishment and ethics deterrents: A study of insider security contravention," J. Amer. Soc. Inform. Sci. Tech., v58, pp. 212-222, 2007.
[112]
Wybo, M. D. and Straub, D. W., "Protecting organizational information resources," Inform. Resources Management J., v2, pp. 1-15, 1989.

Cited By

View all

Recommendations

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image Information Systems Research
Information Systems Research  Volume 20, Issue 1
March 2009
157 pages

Publisher

INFORMS

Linthicum, MD, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 March 2009
Received: 11 July 2006

Author Tags

  1. IS misuse
  2. IS security
  3. end-user security
  4. general deterrence theory
  5. security countermeasures
  6. security management

Qualifiers

  • Article

Contributors

Other Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

  • Downloads (Last 12 months)0
  • Downloads (Last 6 weeks)0
Reflects downloads up to 15 Sep 2024

Other Metrics

Citations

Cited By

View all
  • (2024)Shedding Light on the DarkInformation Systems Research10.1287/isre.2023.122235:1(145-164)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2024
  • (2024)The relationship between the dark triad personality and cybersecurityProceedings of the Central and Eastern European eDem and eGov Days 202410.1145/3670243.3670262(195-202)Online publication date: 12-Sep-2024
  • (2024)Fostering information security compliance as organizational citizenship behaviorInformation and Management10.1016/j.im.2024.10396861:5Online publication date: 1-Jul-2024
  • (2024)A systematic analysis of failures in protecting personal health dataInternational Journal of Information Management: The Journal for Information Professionals10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.10271974:COnline publication date: 27-Feb-2024
  • (2024)Facilitating and impeding factors to insiders’ prosocial rule breaking in South KoreaComputers and Security10.1016/j.cose.2023.103572136:COnline publication date: 1-Feb-2024
  • (2024)Fostering information security policies compliance with ISA-95-based framework: an empirical study of oil and gas employeesInternational Journal of Information Security10.1007/s10207-023-00786-923:2(1197-1213)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2024
  • (2023)Going Beyond DeterrenceInformation Systems Research10.1287/isre.2022.113334:1(342-362)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2023
  • (2023)Augmenting Password Strength Meter Design Using the Elaboration Likelihood ModelInformation Systems Research10.1287/isre.2022.112534:1(157-177)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2023
  • (2023)A Taxonomy of SETA Methods and Linkage to Delivery PreferencesACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems10.1145/3631341.363134854:4(107-133)Online publication date: 30-Oct-2023
  • (2023)How to Compensate After a Data Breach?ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems10.1145/3583581.358358854:1(110-127)Online publication date: 7-Feb-2023
  • Show More Cited By

View Options

View options

Get Access

Login options

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Share this Publication link

Share on social media