Entrepreneurs are likely to be victims of ransomware. Previous studies have found that entrepreneurs tend to adopt few preventive measures, thereby increasing their chances of victimization. Due to a lack of research, however, not much is known about why entrepreneurs lack self-protective behaviors and how they can be encouraged to change said behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explain, by means of an extended model of the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the motivation for entrepreneurs using protective measures against ransomware in the future. The data for our study were collected thanks to a questionnaire that was answered by 1,020 Dutch entrepreneurs with up to 250 employees. Our Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis revealed that entrepreneurs are more likely to take preventive measures against ransomware if they perceive the risk of ransomware as severe (perceived severity), if they perceive their company as being vulnerable (perceived vulnerability), if they are concerned about the risks (affective response), and if they think that the people and companies around them expect them to apply preventive measures (subjective norms). However, if entrepreneurs think that they are capable of handling the risk (self-efficacy) and are convinced that their adopted preventive measures are effective (response efficacy), they are less likely to take preventive measures. Furthermore, for entrepreneurs that outsource IT security, the significant effect of perceived vulnerability and subjective norms disappears. The likelihood of entrepreneurs protecting their business against ransomware is thus influenced by a complex interplay of various motivational factors and is partly dependent on the business’ characteristics. Based on these findings, we will discuss security professionals’ prospects for increasing the cyber resilience of entrepreneurs, thus preventing cybercrime victimization.
Een grote groep Nederlanders wordt jaarlijks slachtoffer van phishing. Burgers en bedrijven nemen echter in te beperkte mate zelfbeschermende maatregelen. In dit onderzoek wordt in kaart gebracht welke factoren bijdragen aan de intentie om zelfbeschermende maatregelen te nemen tegen phishing door drie risicogroepen, namelijk jongeren, ouderen en mkb’ers. We passen de Protection Motivation Theory toe, en onderbouwen een uitbreiding van dit model met twee factoren: affectieve respons en subjectieve normen. Data is verzameld middels vragenlijstonderzoek bij een panelbureau onder jongeren (N=1179), ouderen (N=1191) en mkb’ers (N=1020). De sterkste voorspeller voor de intentie tot het nemen van zelfbeschermende maatregelen tegen phishing bleek de affectieve respons (zorgen maken om phishing), gevolgd door een negatief effect van zelfeffectiviteit en positieve effecten van waargenomen ernst (jongeren en mkb’ers) en subjectieve norm (mkb’ers). Implicaties van de bevindingen voor handhavers en interventies worden besproken.
Through the commodification of nature, the framing of the environment as a ‘natural resource’ or ‘ecosystem service’ has become increasingly prominent in international environmental governance. The economic capture approach is promoted by international organizations such as the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). This paper will inquire as to how forest protection is related to issues of social and ecological justice, exploring whether forest exploitation based on the top-down managerial model fosters an unequitable distribution of resources. Both top-down and community-based approaches to forest protection will be critically examined and a more inclusive ethical framework to forest protection will be offered. The findings of this examination indicate the need for a renewed focus on existing examples of good practice in addressing both social and ecological need, as well as the necessity to address the less comfortable problem of where compromise appears less possible. The conclusion argues for the need to consider ecological justice as an important aspect of more socially orientated environmental justice for forest protection. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892916000436 https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
MULTIFILE
