Behavior Types from Cybersecurity Perspective: An Overview

Contemporary organizations rely on information technologies to enhance productivity, venture into new markets, promote innovation, and realize other benefits. However, these technologies are susceptible to attacks, most of which could be attributed to human behavior. Therefore, addressing the pertinent vulnerabilities is central to creating secure systems. This paper defines and applies various concepts related to cybersecurity: cybersecurity behavior, intention behavior, avoidance behavior, avoidance motivation, usage behavior, compliance behavior, and cybersecurity awareness. Whereas cybersecurity behavior relates to the actions and habits of users, intention behavior attempts to explain the rationale behind the behavior. Avoidance behavior relates to the activities pursued as a way of avoiding threats while avoidance motivation concerns the incentive for engaging in avoidance behavior. Usage behavior, compliance behavior, and cybersecurity awareness refer to the quality and quantity of the utilization of cybersecurity tools, adherence to cybersecurity best practices, and knowledge of cyber threats and the associated interventions, respectively. This paper highlights the opportunities and challenges associated with each concept and offers recommendations for dealing with human-related risks in cybersecurity. Furthermore, the usage of the concepts across different technologies is highlighted. The inclusion of the author’s opinion provides a personal view of how each concept can be addressed in the overall cybersecurity plan of the organization. Overall, understanding the different behavior types allows one to address human-related vulnerabilities and minimize the risk and severity of cyber threats.