Samenvatting

A large group of Dutch people fall victim to phishing every year. However, citizens and companies take self-protective measures to a limited extent. This study maps out which factors contribute to the intention to take self-protective measures against phishing by three high-risk groups, namely young people, the elderly and SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises). We apply the Protection Motivation Theory and justify an extension of this model with two factors: affective response and subjective norms. Data was collected through questionnaire research at a panel agency among young people (N=1179), the elderly (N=1191) and SME owners (N=1020). The strongest predictor for the intention to take self-protective measures against phishing appeared to be affective response (worrying about phishing), followed by a negative effect of self-efficacy and positive effects of perceived seriousness (young people and SMEs) and subjective norm (SMEs). Implications of the findings for policy makers and interventions are discussed.