Information Security Commons^™

The Centrality Of Awareness In The Formation Of User Behavioral Intention Toward Preventive Technologies In The Context Of Voluntary Use, Tamara Dinev, Qing Hu

Qing Hu

Little is known about user behavior toward what we call preventive computer technologies that have become increasingly important in the networked economy and society to secure data and systems from viruses, unauthorized access, disruptions, spyware, and similar harmful technologies. We present the results of a study of user behavior toward preventive technologies based on the frameworks of theory of planned behavior in the context of anti-spyware technologies. We find that the user awareness of the issues and threats from harmful technologies is a strong predictor of user behavioral intention toward the use of preventive technologies. In the presence of awareness, …