An information security assessment model for bring your own device in the South African healthcare sector

Background and Aim of Study: The healthcare sector stands at the forefront of industries embracing personal-device usage for professional tasks. Permitting to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) for healthcare professionals presents information security hurdles that pose challenges for decision-makers in the healthcare field, despite the considerable benefits associated with BYOD. The aim of the study: to develop an information-security assessment model for BYOD in the South African healthcare sector to guide healthcare decision-makers. Material and Methods: The main focus of the study was the South African private healthcare sector, Gauteng Province. The target population size of 170 with a sample size of 118 with the feedback responses with additional 10, which were also included in the analysis data statistics that was done for 128 received responses. The instrument used for the closed-ended questionnaire was SPSS 28.0.1.1 and the expert judgement technique for the validation questionnaire. Factors from the diffusion of innovation theory, the electronic protected health information security framework, cybersecurity knowledge, skills, abilities and external variables were adapted to inform the conceptual model. Results: The following factors have the most significant contributions to the development of an information security assessment model for BYOD in the South African healthcare sector: training is the most influential factor with a predictive power of 64.0% (β=0.640) at p=0.001; security threats with 61.3% (β=0.613) significance level p=0.020; conversely, security controls had a predictive power of 50.9% (β=0.509) at p=0.001. Conclusions: This study has developed a contextual information-security assessment model for BYOD within the South African healthcare sector. In practical terms, this model offers guidance to healthcare decision-makers in seamlessly integrating BYOD practices into daily operations; and aids in cautious planning, guided by the insights provided by the security-assessment model for BYOD.