The Big Five in Action: A Systematic Review of Personality, Cyber Awareness, and Behaviors
摘要
With cybercrime on the rise, understanding the human factors that contribute to online vulnerability is essential for developing effective prevention and mitigation strategies. Understanding individual differences is crucial for developing effective cybersecurity interventions. Personality traits, specifically the Big Five (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), have been shown to influence a wide range of human behaviors, including those related to cybersecurity. This systematic review examines the relationship between these personality traits and cyber awareness/behaviors in end-users. A systematic search across five databases (PubMed, Web of Science, APA PsycInfo, ACM Digital Library, and ProQuest) was conducted, covering 2014 to 2024. Studies were included if they: 1.) measured Big Five Personality Traits, 2.) assessed the relationship between these traits and cyber awareness or cybersecurity behaviors, and 3.) involved end-users. Forty studies met the inclusion criteria. Conscientiousness consistently emerged as a key factor associated with positive cybersecurity behaviors. Agreeableness and openness were also positively related to secure cyber behaviors, while neuroticism and extraversion were linked to increased vulnerability. These findings underscore the potential value of individual difference knowledge, like personality traits, in designing human-centered computing systems. Future developers can enhance their user experience and security compliance by designing with these traits in mind.