Information sharing, investment, and retaliatory posture: the role of age in preferences toward information security governance

The exploitation of older adults in cyberattacks is a growing problem recognized by researchers, organizations, and practitioners alike. Yet, there is limited generalizable research examining how age shapes preferences about the government’s role in cybersecurity across multiple dimensions and measures. This study contributes to our understanding of information security behavior, the public’s response to growing cyberthreats, and potential mechanisms to mitigate information security vulnerability among subgroups in society with the first large-scale and generalizable empirical evidence about the relationship between age and cybersecurity governance preferences. Using a large survey of US adults, the findings indicate that older adults are strongly supportive of government taking a more active role in cybersecurity. However, the magnitude of the effect varies and older adults’ strongest desire is to see the government take a more punitive retaliatory posture toward cybercrimes. The findings have important implications for our understanding of government involvement in cybersecurity and vulnerability mitigation at a time when cybersecurity is of paramount importance for individuals’ well-being, organizational continuity, and governments worldwide.