Factors affecting organizational adoption and acceptance of computer-based security awareness training tools

Purpose: As insiders remain to be a main reason behind security breaches, effective information security awareness campaigns become critical in protecting organizations from security incidents. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that influence organizational adoption and acceptance of computer-based security awareness training tools. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses content analysis of online reviews of the top ten computer-based security awareness training tools that received Gartner peer insights Customers’ Choice 2019 award. Findings: This study identifies nine critical adoption and success factors. These are synthesized into a conceptual framework based on the technology–organization–environment framework. The findings reveal that technological, organizational and environmental factors come into play in adoption decisions but with varying degrees of importance. Practical implications: This study highlights key factors that technology vendors should take into consideration when designing computer-based security awareness training tools to increase adoption rates. Originality/value: This research offers a novel contribution to the literature on information security awareness delivery methods by identifying key factors that influence organizational adoption and acceptance of computer-based security awareness training tools. Those factors were identified using content analysis of online reviews, which is a new methodological approach to the information security awareness literature.