Identifying Multiple Categories of Cybersecurity Skills that Affect User Acceptance of Protective Information Technologies

Cybersecurity threat is one of the major national security challenges confronting the United States, making it imperative to achieve safe user security behavior on information systems. Safe user security behavior hinges on the attitude of a computer user to accept the usage of Protective information technologies (PIT), including security software. Past studies focused on user acceptance of PIT with antecedents such as usefulness, capabilities, and self-efficacy but rarely addressed specific cybersecurity skills needed to improve the user attitude and acceptance of security software use. The purpose of this study is to examine what category of cybersecurity skills can improve the user acceptance of PIT. We propose a theoretical model that examines the effect of cybersecurity computing skills, cybersecurity initiative skills and cybersecurity action skills on user attitude and acceptance of PIT. This research addresses the national cybersecurity threat and has both theoretical and practical implications.