Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • The Security Leadership Issue
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
CybersecuritySecurity NewswireCybersecurity News

Do Cultural Differences Account for Global Gap in Online Regulation?

global-enews
December 2, 2019

Differences in cultural values have led some countries to tackle cyber attacks with increased internet regulation, while others have taken a ‘hands-off’ approach to online security, says a research report. 

"Internet users gravitate towards one of two ‘poles’ of social values. Risk-taking users are found in ‘competitive’ national cultures prompting heavy regulation, while web users in ‘co-operative’ nations exhibit less risky behavior requiring lighter regulation," says the study. 

Researchers at the University of Birmingham used cultural value measurements from 74 countries to predict the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), which measures state commitments of countries to cybersecurity regulation. The report,  ‘Using human values-based approach to understand cross-cultural commitment toward regulation and governance of cybersecurity’ by Dr. Alexander Kharlamov, from Birmingham Law School and Professor Ganna Pogrebna, from Birmingham Business School, is published by Regulation & Governance.

In the study, Dr. Kharlamov and Professor Pogrebna demonstrated that differences in cybersecurity regulation, measured by GCI, stem from cross-cultural differences in human values between countries, says an University of Birmingham press release. They also showed how cultural values mapped onto national commitments to regulate and govern cybersecurity.

In China, where people are more risk taking than American and British web users across five categories of risk behaviors, regulation is far stricter than in the USA, which in turn is tighter than the UK, says the University of Birmingham. Dr. Kharlamov and Professor Pogrebna showed that this corresponded to the countries’ relative positions on the cultural value scale, with China closer to ‘competitive’ than the USA, which in turn is closer to this ‘pole’ than the UK.

Dr. Kharlamov commented, “We spend most of our lives in the digital domain and cyber attacks not only lead to a significant financial damage, but also cause prolonged psychological harm - using social engineering techniques to trick people into doing something they otherwise would not want to do. Irresponsible use of digital technologies, such as the Cambridge Analytica case, cause harm to many citizens and tell us that Internet regulation is imminent. It is vital to understand the origins of human behavior online, as well as values and behavioral patterns.”

The five categories of risk behavior - cybersecurity, personal data, privacy, cybercrime and negligence – each consisted of six behavioral examples such as:

  • Not using anti-virus or antimalware protection (cybersecurity)
  • Providing private information, such as your email address, to obtain free WiFi in public places such as coffee shops, airports and train stations (personal data)
  • Linking multiple social media accounts such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (Privacy)
  • Using insecure connections or free WiFi (Cybercrime)
  • Letting web browsers remember passwords (Negligence)

Professor Ganna Pogrebna said, “Culture shapes the way we govern cyber spaces. Human values lie at the core of the human risk‐taking behavior in the digital space, which, in turn has a direct impact on the way in which digital domain is regulated. We talk about establishing overarching international online regulation, such as a new International Convention of Human Digital Rights. Yet, it seems the main reason why the international community fails to agree on such regulation has deep cultural underpinning.”

GCI is produced by the International Telecommunications Union and assesses each country’s engagement with cybersecurity regulatory processes in five areas: Legal, Technical, Organizational, Capacity Building and Co-operation. The research paper can be found at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/rego.12281

KEYWORDS: cyber security cybersecurity online security privacy concerns

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Leadership and Management
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cyber Tactics Column
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Cybersecurity Education & Training
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

  • Duty of Care
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Integrating Technology and Physical Security to Advance Duty of Care

Popular Stories

Coding

AI Emerges as the Top Concern for Security Leaders

Half open laptop

“Luigi Was Right”: A Look at the Website Sharing Data on More Than 1,000 Executives

Shopping mall

Victoria’s Secret Security Incident Shuts Down Website

Laptop with coding on ground

Stepping Into the Light: Why CISOs Are Replacing Black-Box Security With Open-Source XDR

Gift cards and credit cards

Why Are Cyberattacks Targeting Retail? Experts Share Their Thoughts

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

June 24, 2025

Inside a Modern GSOC: How Anthropic Benchmarks Risk Detection Tools for Speed and Accuracy

For today's security teams, making informed decisions in the first moments of a crisis is critical.

July 17, 2025

Tech in the Jungle: Leveraging Surveillance, Access Control, and Technology in Unique Environments

From animal habitats to bustling crowds of visitors, a zoo is a one-of-a-kind environment for deploying modern security technologies.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Laptop with dark screen and green symbols

    15 companies account for 62% of global attack surface

    See More
  • Computer

    Global New Account Fraud Increased 28% in 2019

    See More
  • identity theft, fraud prevention, cybersecurity, data theft

    Global account fraud decreased 23% in 2020

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • databasehacker

    The Database Hacker's Handboo

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing