Risk perception of internet-related activities

When people choose to engage in an online activity, such as doing their banking online, or making a purchase through an online merchant, they are making a trust decision about the supplier and source of the website in question. It appears that a large majority of users commonly place their trust in most, if not all, websites they encounter, and this causes significant security problems. Any solutions proposed to reduce the threat of online attacks must include a consideration of the psychological processes of the end users. This paper presents a study with the aim of understanding users' perceptions of the risks involved in engaging in online interactions. Our main findings suggest that users report higher risks associated with activities that are related to finances, such as online banking and online purchases, but attribute lower risk to online activities that are less financially-related, such as using a search engine or engaging in social networking, which are highly valued targets for attackers.