Cybersecurity in the workplace: factors that influence positive cybersecurity behavior against phishing in South African institutions

dc.contributor.advisorRuhwanya, Zainab
dc.contributor.authorPilane, Karabo
dc.date.accessioned2025-09-19T12:18:35Z
dc.date.available2025-09-19T12:18:35Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2025-09-19T09:31:53Z
dc.description.abstractIn South Africa one of the top cybersecurity threats is phishing. Furthermore, employees' responses to phishing emails can either bolster or weaken an organisation's cyber security. It is estimated that more than 90% of data breaches are due to successful phishing attacks. They bring the maximum benefits with little to no cost for cyber attackers. Hence, this study aims to explain the factors that influence cybersecurity protective behaviour against phishing in South African organisations. A quantitative method was used, and data were collected online through a questionnaire survey. One hundred and twenty respondents from South African organisations participated. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling platform provided in SmartPLS-4 was used to model the data. SmartPLS was used to calculate and analyse reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, path coefficients, and significance of relationships. Factors that were identified as influencing cybersecurity protective behaviour against phishing were remote working, cybersecurity awareness, perceived user self-efficacy, facilitating conditions, perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, response efficacy, response costs, and government cyber laws enforcement.
dc.identifier.apacitationPilane, K. (2025). <i>Cybersecurity in the workplace: factors that influence positive cybersecurity behavior against phishing in South African institutions</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Department of Information Systems. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41881en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationPilane, Karabo. <i>"Cybersecurity in the workplace: factors that influence positive cybersecurity behavior against phishing in South African institutions."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Department of Information Systems, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41881en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationPilane, K. 2025. Cybersecurity in the workplace: factors that influence positive cybersecurity behavior against phishing in South African institutions. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Department of Information Systems. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41881en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Pilane, Karabo AB - In South Africa one of the top cybersecurity threats is phishing. Furthermore, employees' responses to phishing emails can either bolster or weaken an organisation's cyber security. It is estimated that more than 90% of data breaches are due to successful phishing attacks. They bring the maximum benefits with little to no cost for cyber attackers. Hence, this study aims to explain the factors that influence cybersecurity protective behaviour against phishing in South African organisations. A quantitative method was used, and data were collected online through a questionnaire survey. One hundred and twenty respondents from South African organisations participated. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling platform provided in SmartPLS-4 was used to model the data. SmartPLS was used to calculate and analyse reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, path coefficients, and significance of relationships. Factors that were identified as influencing cybersecurity protective behaviour against phishing were remote working, cybersecurity awareness, perceived user self-efficacy, facilitating conditions, perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, response efficacy, response costs, and government cyber laws enforcement. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Cybersecurity KW - South African institutions KW - Workplace LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - Cybersecurity in the workplace: factors that influence positive cybersecurity behavior against phishing in South African institutions TI - Cybersecurity in the workplace: factors that influence positive cybersecurity behavior against phishing in South African institutions UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41881 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/41881
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationPilane K. Cybersecurity in the workplace: factors that influence positive cybersecurity behavior against phishing in South African institutions. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Department of Information Systems, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41881en_ZA
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Information Systems
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Commerce
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectCybersecurity
dc.subjectSouth African institutions
dc.subjectWorkplace
dc.titleCybersecurity in the workplace: factors that influence positive cybersecurity behavior against phishing in South African institutions
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMCom
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