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Predicting Phishing Victimization: Comparing Prior Victimization, Cognitive, and Emotional Styles, and Vulnerable or Protective E-mail Strategies
Victims & Offenders
  • Loretta Stalans, Loyola University Chicago
  • Eric Chan-Tin, Loyola University Chicago
  • Anna Hart, Loyola University Chicago
  • Madeline Moran, Loyola University Chicago
  • Shelia Kennison, Oklahoma State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2-2023
Pages
1216-1235
Publisher Name
Taylor and Francis Group
Disciplines
Abstract

Phishing victimization is prevalent and results in theft of personal identifiable information (PII) or installing malware to steal PII. Drawing upon social psychological and criminological theories, we conducted a prospective study to assess three groups of predictors to being phished or not: a) prior victimization; b) protective or vulnerable habitual strategies, and c) emotional and cognitive decision-making styles. Students (N = 236) completed a survey assessing these predictors and then about 4 weeks later received a phishing e-mail using the university’s phishing testing system. The e-mail requested that they click on a link and enter their student ID to avoid having their account blocked. About half (50.8%) clicked on the link, and 81.6% of those phished entered their PII. Individuals who had low avoidant style and high generalized anxiety were four times more likely to be phished, after controlling for the significant effects of vulnerable habitual strategies and using dating apps. Machine learning analyses also found cognitive styles and generalized anxiety are the better predictors of getting phished compared to vulnerable and protective strategies and prior victimization. These findings suggest that cybersecurity training needs to be expanded to address the emotional and cognitive processing of deceptive appeals in e-mails.

Comments

Author Posting © The Author(s), 2023. This article is posted here by permission of Taylor and Francis Group for personal use and redistribution. This article was published open access in Victims & Offenders, VOL.18, (June 2, 2023),https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2023.2218369

Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
Citation Information
Loretta Stalans, Eric Chan-Tin, Anna Hart, Madeline Moran & Shelia Kennison (2023) Predicting Phishing Victimization: Comparing Prior Victimization, Cognitive, and Emotional Styles, and Vulnerable or Protective E-mail Strategies, Victims & Offenders, 18:7, 1216-1235, DOI: 10.1080/15564886.2023.2218369