Exploring the Influences of Implementation Intention on Information Security Behaviors

Although information security knowledge is spreading and management tools are improving, information security incidents remain widely heard. Studies have investigated information security behaviors through motivational theories like the Theory of Planned Behavior. Since implementation intentions are considered as a behavior changing technique that may overcome goal deviations, this paper attempts to explore information security behaviors from the volitional perspective. Synthesizing the findings of twelve implementation intention studies, the proposed research model postulates that implementation intention intervention may affect information security behaviors. Besides, the moderating effects of two factors are included in the research model: difficulty of information security behaviors and strength of commitment to the goal intention. This research-in-progress paper describes the experimental methodology and provides instruments to validate the proposed model. The results are expected to establish the importance of action plans in improving information security behaviors.