Information security behaviors of smartphone users in China: an empirical analysis
| Published date | 06 November 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-09-2016-0183 |
| Pages | 1177-1190 |
| Date | 06 November 2017 |
| Author | Xiao Juan Zhang,Zhenzhen Li,Hepu Deng |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
Information security behaviors of
smartphone users in China: an
empirical analysis
Xiao Juan Zhang
School of Information Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,
and Center for the Studies of Information Resources,
Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Zhenzhen Li
School of Information Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China, and
Hepu Deng
School of Business Information Technology and Logistics,
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
Abstract
Purpose –Understanding user behavior is increasingly critical for information security in the use of
smartphones. There is, however, lack of empirical studies about the behavior of smartphone users for
information securityin China. The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical analysisof the behavior of
smartphoneusers in China in relation to information security.
Design/methodology/approach –A review of the related literature is conducted, leading to the
development of a questionnaire for investigating the behavior of smartphone users. An online survey of
the smartphone users in China is conducted. The collected data are analyzed with the use of descriptive
analysis and Pearson’s chi-square test to better understand the behavior of smartphone users on
information security.
Findings –The paper shows that there are serious concerns about information security in the use of
smartphonesin China including the ignorance of security information in downloadingand using applications,
inadequate phone settings, inappropriate enabling of add-on utilities and lack of proper disaster recovery
plans. The study also reveals that there is a significant difference between different groups of users on
informationsecurity in smartphone use.
Research limitations/implications –This paper is based on a purposefulsample of smartphone users
in China. It is exploratoryin nature.
Practical implications –The paper can lead to a better understanding of the behavior of smartphone
users and information securityin China and provide relevant government departments and institutions with
useful information for developing appropriate strategies and policies and designing specific training
programsto improve information security in the smartphone use.
Originality/value –This paper is the first of this kind to collectquantitative data from users in China for
better understanding the behaviorof smartphone users on information security. It provides insight towards
the adoptionof various measuresfor information security from the perspective of smartphoneusers in China.
Keywords China, Information security, Empirical studies, Smartphone use, User behaviors
Paper type Research paper
This paper is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71473182).
Information
security
behaviors
1177
Received13 September 2016
Revised12 February 2017
Accepted12 April 2017
TheElectronic Library
Vol.35 No. 6, 2017
pp. 1177-1190
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-09-2016-0183
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