Economic, social, individual and political contexts

Security behavior change interventions must account for the diverse contexts in which users operate, such as economic, social, individual, and political environments. These contexts significantly shape the perspectives of various stakeholders, influencing their approach to security problems. Here’s a detailed explanation of these contexts:

Economic Context

The economic context relates to the financial aspects surrounding security practices. This includes how much an individual or organization can afford in terms of security technologies and how much they can afford to lose. Economic incentives also play a role in determining the level of security investment and the prioritization of different types of data protection.

Social Context

The social context involves the cultural and habitual factors that influence security practices. This includes shared practices like password sharing, the use of shared devices, and the collective norms within a community or organization. Social context can shape how security behaviors are perceived and practiced, often leading to differences in security priorities among individuals and groups.

Political Context

The political context encompasses the influence of legislation, regulation, and public awareness on security behaviors. Political factors can dictate certain security practices through compliance requirements and regulatory frameworks, impacting how organizations and individuals prioritize and implement security measures.

Individual Context

The individual context includes personal values, beliefs, and motivations regarding security. It reflects what an individual values most, such as personal data, and what they wish to protect. Personal reputation, legal responsibilities, and individual consequences in the event of a security breach all influence this perspective.

Integration of Contexts

These contexts are interconnected, and together they form an individual’s or group’s security perspective. Understanding these perspectives is crucial for designing effective security behavior change interventions. For instance, a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) might prioritize protecting a database due to economic (cost of loss), political (legal obligations), and individual (personal reputation) reasons.

Applying the Framework

To develop successful interventions, security practitioners must assess these contexts using tools like surveys, interviews, and focus groups. They might use frameworks like the four questions proposed by Graham Smith in 2005 to analyze the security needs and perspectives of stakeholders. These questions are:

1. Who or what is being secured?
2. Who or what is doing the securing?
3. Why is the subject being secured?
4. Who or what is the subject being secured from?

Recommended Readings

• Coles-Kemp, Lizzie. (2020). Her writings explore the interplay of social and technical aspects in cybersecurity.
• Joinson, Adam N., & Van Steen, Tilo. (2018). Their work delves into the psychological and social dimensions of cybersecurity behaviors.
• Sasse, Angela, & Flechais, Ivan. (2005). They discuss the importance of understanding diverse user perspectives in security practices.
• Smith, Graham. (2005). His theoretical framework helps analyze security priorities in various contexts.
• National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Their U-shaped security guidance provides insights on gathering data on security practices.

These resources provide valuable insights into how different contexts influence security behaviors and how to design interventions that account for these factors