Elhai, J. D., Levine, J. C., & Hall, B. J. (2017). Anxiety about electronic data hacking.

Citation

Elhai, J. D., Levine, J. C., & Hall, B. J. (2017). Anxiety about electronic data hacking: Predictors and relations with digital privacy protection behavior. Internet Research, 27(3), 631.

Annotation:

This article looks at concerns over digital privacy and loss of control of personal information. This can include data breaches, data collection and unauthorized use of information in social media by corporations. The paper provides a literature review of digital privacy concerns as well as contemporary threats to information security. The level of threats and concern have not translated into users increasing their level of information protection. The primary hypotheses in this study relate several possible vectors to anxiety about data hacking. These include that increased anxiety should relate to use of digital privacy protection behaviour, past victimization due to data hacking and perceived importance of digital privacy. The authors employ several theoretical frameworks in their analysis. Protection Motivation Theory(PMT) is the idea that people protect themselves based on perceived severity of the risk, Prospect Theory(PT) which looks at behaviours when risk is involved, and Privacy Calculus Theory (PCT) which proposes user perform a risk analysis when choosing to provide personal information online. Methods used were an online survey using a modified Likert scale that looks at intensity of recent levels of anxiety. As of late 2016, this was the first study to use a validated standardized instrument for anxiety to look at data hacking and their relationship to personal digital security practices. The instrument in the study relied on self-reporting and a selective sample to gather data. This should be taken into consideration when drawing on the study’s conclusions for application in professional practice. In serving diverse patron communities both public and academic libraries see a broad level of awareness and anxiety regarding personal data breaches or data hacking. This could lead to patrons being wary of their personal security when using available services such as wifi access, downloading of e-resources, or the library’s use of the patron’s personal information. Technological literacy has become one of the primary avenues for education in libraries. The results of this study could be effectively used to explain and promote personal data security add or enhance current library services.