Evaluating the Impact of Narrative versus Didactic Video Interventions on Phishing Scam Detection: An Experimental Study

• In Event: Phishing & Smishing Scams

Abstract

Cybersecurity education efforts often use short videos to inform users about necessary steps they can adopt to protect themselves online. While videos can provide quick and helpful content, their effectiveness can vary based on the style of the message. Research from public health suggests educational videos that portray an emotional component are more engaging and can alleviate users' hesitance to adopt protective behaviors, especially where response costs of those behaviors are high. We evaluated two cybersecurity-focused educational videos, a didactic style (information presented factually from an expert) and a narrative style (information presented from a distressed victim), to determine the videos' effectiveness in preventing subjects from falling victim to a cyber attack. We used a randomized experimental design in a survey with a sample of 450 individuals across the U.S. After the respondents had watched the videos and completed our survey, we sent them a phishing message tracking whether they clicked on an embedded link. We provide the study results and discuss the implications for cybersecurity education policies and practices.

Authors

• Courtney Weber, University of South Florida

• George Burruss, University of South Florida

• Taylor Fisher, University of South Florida