Information Security Practices and Intervention Among Teenagers

ABSTRACTIn the digital age, information is drastically exchanged among users. This data exchange paved the way for unsolicited access by cybercriminals, which could lead to psychological and financial loss. In this study, through a pre- and posttest experimental design, 668 Indian teenagers aged between fifteen and nineteen were evaluated last year. The preliminary study revealed low performance by teenagers in e-mail practices, password management, software practices, social media usage, and privacy settings. Through a novel intervention, 36 teenagers were observed through a curated information security module. The pretest and posttest analyses significantly supported the effects of security training, and Cohen’s d effect size reiterated the importance of progressive outcomes in their security literacy and practices. The intervention focused on the importance of threat perception and coping appraisal for inculcating security parameters and behavioral change among the teenagers.KEYWORDS: Information security awarenesssecurity practicesemail securitypassword securitysecurity training AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank all the candidates who have participated in this research and spent time with us in spite of their busy commitments.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).