Behavioural threshold analysis: methodological and practical considerations for applications in information security

ABSTRACT

The application of behavioural threshold analysis to analyse group behaviour in information security presents a unique challenge in terms of the measurement instruments and methodology used to gather relevant attitude data. This paper presents an analysis of the specialised requirements for such a measurement instrument and makes methodological recommendations on the content and especially presentation of information security topics in a measurement instrument for this context. A comparison between existing methods and the specific requirements for threshold analysis is presented and serves as the main rationale for the suggested methodology. The recommended methodology and subsequent measurement instrument were implemented and experimentally tested in case studies to gauge their feasibility. Applications of behavioural threshold analysis in information security that follow the recommended methodology suggested in this article performed satisfactorily and elicits cause for further real-world experimentation.

KEYWORDS:

• Measurement instrument
• behavioural threshold analysis
• information security
• behaviour
• attitude

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Dirk Snyman http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7360-3214

Notes

1 Based on migratory behaviour of rodents, the lemming effect refers to blindly following a group to one’s own detriment.