Factors that Motivate Defense Against Social Engineering Attacks Across Organizations

Abstract

This paper explores the factors that influence employees' security behaviors in organizations. It integrates the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and organizational effort to develop a comprehensive model for understanding the impact of antecedents and mediating factors on security behavior. PMT has been used extensively in health research, but its application in the field of information security is limited. The study found that threat and coping factors are reliable predictors of employees' motivational behavior towards security. In addition, employee awareness and organizational effort also positively influence threat and coping appraisal processes, leading to cybersecurity behavior. Several practical implications were identified, such as the effectiveness of government organizations in motivating security behavior compared to other businesses. This study provides insights into the complex interplay of factors that shape employees' security behavior and can inform organizations' efforts to promote secure behaviors.