Effects of Team Collaboration on Sharing Information Security Advice: Insights from Network Analysis

Active sharing of information security advice among the employees has undeniable implications for developing a sustainable security environment. This research examines this topic from the network perspective, and focuses on the work relationships that promote sharing security advice. Exponential random graph modeling technique was employed to evaluate the relationship between team collaborative activities and sharing security advice. The findings revealed that those who share security advice also tend to give work- and IT-related knowledge. Moreover, employees who have similar tenure tend to exchange security advice with each other more. Furthermore, the network of sharing security advice is transitive and has a tendency to form separate clusters. Security managers are suggested to take into account the research findings to identify key employees who frequently share security advice in the workplace and devise appropriate strategies to manage them.