Digital Transformation in Governmental Public Service Provision and Usable Security Perception in Saudi Arabia

Usable security and privacy in public services are critical considerations in today’s digital age, where governments increasingly rely on technology to deliver services efficiently while safeguarding sensitive information. Successful usage of these electronic services depends on citizens’ trust level in e-government channels. Therefore, the design of these public service organizations should consider the usability aspect of security controls. In this paper, we present the results of a quantitative study conducted in Saudi Arabia to understand end users’ perceptions regarding usable security and privacy in their public service usage. Based on the findings, we present a model to further improve the usable security and privacy aspects, which will help policymakers and practitioners improve public service provision by electronic means. The model can be further refined in different geographical contexts to improve cybersecurity in e-government service provision through the integrated efforts of citizens, service-providing organizations and government cybersecurity agencies.