Keeping customers' data secure: A cross-cultural study of cybersecurity compliance among the Gen-Mobile workforce

Nisreen Ameen, Ali Tarhini, Mahmood Shah, Nnamdi Madichie, Justin Paul, Jyoti Choudrie

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Abstract

Employees are increasingly relying on mobile devices. In international organizations, more employees are using their personal smartphones for work purposes. Meanwhile, the number of data breaches is rising and affecting the security of customers' data. However, employees' cybersecurity compliance with cybersecurity policies is poorly understood. Researchers have called for a more holistic approach to information security. We propose an employee smartphone-security compliance (ESSC) model, which deepens understanding of employees'
information-security behavior by considering influences on the national, organizational, technological (smartphone-specific), and personal levels. The research focuses on secure smartphone use in the workplace among GenMobile (aged 18-35) employees in a cross-cultural context: the United Kingdom (UK), United States (US) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) where 1,735 questionnaires were collected. Our findings suggest that those who wish to understand employees' smartphone-security behavior should consider national cybersecurity policies, cultural differences in different countries, and threats specific to smartphone use. In addition, our findings help companies to increase customers' trust and maintain a positive reputation.
Original languageEnglish
Article number106531
Number of pages19
JournalComputers in Human Behavior
Volume114
Early online date26 Aug 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2021

Keywords

  • Customer data
  • Smartphone security
  • Employee cybersecurity compliance
  • Cross-cultural information security

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