Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Phishing: Message Appraisal And The Exploration Of Fear And Self-Confidence, Deanna House, M. K. Raja

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

Phishing attacks have threatened the security of both home users and organizations in recent years. Phishing uses social engineering to fraudulently obtain information that is confidential or sensitive. Individuals are targeted to take action by clicking on a link and providing information. This research explores fear arousal and self-confidence in subjects confronted by phishing attacks. The study collected data from multiple sources (including an attempted phishing attack). The survey results indicated that when individuals had a high level of fear arousal related to providing login credentials they had a decreased intention to respond to a phishing attack. Self-confidence did not …