Comparative Study on Online Security Awareness and Behavior Among Healthcare Professionals in Croatia

Healthcare professionals predominantly operate under additional stress, leading to the assumption that they exhibit riskier online behavior. Therefore, the aim was to assess their security awareness and online behavior, comparing them with the average internet user, administrative staff, and health studies students. This empirical study was conducted across four hospitals, two faculties, and within the general population. The Behavioral-Cognitive Internet Security Questionnaire was utilized, supplemented by demographic inquiries and questions regarding prior knowledge, including a deceptive question concerning the acceptance of terms and conditions. Despite two-thirds of participants assessing their information security knowledge as good, less than one-third had received specific education on internet security. Relatively low average score for risky behavior and comparatively high average score for security awareness were observed, with no significant difference between healthcare professionals and the general population. Students exhibited slightly better results. However, only 7.25% of all participants responded correctly to the deceptive question. The findings suggest that healthcare professionals, similar to the average user, behave rather safely when online. The absence of specific education did not show a negative correlation with online behavior or security awareness. Nevertheless, a notable number of participants granted consent to terms and conditions without reading them.