Cyber Victimization: Tools Used to Combat Cybercrime and Victim Characteristics

Cyber victimization is explored through the lens of end users and the tools they use to combat cybercrime. These tools are important in mitigating a variety of threats to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and associated systems for end users, whether through intentional criminal activity, accidents, or system/device malfunction. This is done by examining the characteristics of individuals and the degree to which they have been a victim, including various demographics and personality types. A large-scale survey was used to aid in this endeavor. Gender identification, household income, and education were all related to cybersecurity tool usage. Those that identified as male, had a higher reported household income, and/or were more educated, were more likely to use a variety of cybersecurity tools. Additionally, individuals with higher levels of neuroticism were less likely to use a number of cybersecurity tools. Implications and future directions are discussed.