Real or bogus: Predicting susceptibility to phishing with economic experiments

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Readme.csv	text/csv	3 KB	01/14/2018 10:10:AM
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main_anonymous.dta	application/x-stata	1.1 MB	01/18/2018 12:05:PM

Project Citation:

Chen, Yan. Real or bogus: Predicting susceptibility to phishing with economic experiments. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2018-01-24. https://doi.org/10.3886/E101360V1

Project Description

Summary:

We present a lab-in-the-field experiment to demonstrate how individual behavior in the lab predicts their ability to identify phishing attempts. Using the business and finance staff members from a large public university in the U.S., we find that participants who are intolerant of risk, more curious, and less trusting commit significantly more errors when evaluating interfaces. We also replicate prior results on demographic correlates of phishing vulnerability, including age, gender, and education level. Our results suggest that behavioral characteristics such as risk attitude, curiosity, and trust can be used to predict individual ability to identify phishing interfaces.

Funding Sources: University of Michigan

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: Controlled Field Experiment; phishing; economic game; vulerability; risk aversion; trust

Geographic Coverage: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Time Period(s): 4/14/2016 – 5/14/2016

Collection Date(s): 4/14/2016 – 5/14/2016

Universe: Business and Finance Staff at the University of Michigan

Data Type(s): experimental data

Collection Notes: The study was conducted through a website designed and developed for the purpose of the experiment. The source code is available at:

https://github.com/ImanYZ/PhishingExperiment.git

Methodology

Response Rate: Out of the 3,190 B&F staff members, 1,201 participate in both the security quiz designed by the researchers and the security education module designed by the IIA staff. Of these, 811 staff members also participate in our economic experiment. Participants take on average 10 minutes and 2 seconds (s.d. = 6.15 minutes) to finish all the components, with average earnings of $17.04 (s.d. = 6.04) from the economic games.

Sampling: To conduct our study, we partner with the Office of Information Security Assurance (IIA) at the University of Michigan in their development of a phishing education module for the B&F staff. Before launching the study, the Chief Financial Officer of the university sends an email announcement to the B&F supervisors and staff, respectively, encouraging them to participate in the education module and research study.

Data Source: All the data is collected through a website designed and developed for the purpose of the experiment. The source code is available at:

https://github.com/ImanYZ/PhishingExperiment.git

Collection Mode(s): web-based survey

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Published Versions

V1 [2018-01-24]

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