A Model of Information Security Awareness for Assessing Information Security Risk for Emerging Technologies

Abstract

Information systems (IS) that interconnect emerging technologies have rendered organizations increasingly vulnerable to emerging information technology (IT) attacks. Drawing on IS concepts such as systems and cybernetic theory, technological threat avoidance theory (TTAT) and general deterrence theory (GDT), this study develops an IS security (ISS) risk model that contributes to an understanding of information security awareness (ISA) and the assessment of ISS risk. Results indicate that technical knowledge, organizational impact and attacker assessment generate significant positive path coefficients with ISA. However, the constructs organizational impact and attacker assessment generated stronger path coefficients with ISA than technical knowledge. Research model results also indicate that ISA is strongly associated with ISS risk.