Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Bachelor of Computer Science Honours

Faculty

Faculty of Computing, Health and Science

First Supervisor

Justin Brown

Abstract

The Internet has become an integral part of the society in many parts of the world. However, as the Internet becoming more important and useful, the problems with Web security have also increased. More people today have experienced Web security threats such as viruses, spyware, keyloggers, and phishing; and a not insignificant number have encountered financial fraud because of the online activities they conducted. This research investigated the security concerns and level of awareness of users in regards to the use of web applications, by identifying users' concerns of web applications, examining the relationship of users' technical knowledge and users' attitudes, as well as investigating the types of web applications that dictate users' concerns towards security. The findings from a survey of 124 respondents within this research indicated that nearly all respondents, across genders and education levels had high levels of awareness of Internet security issues. This research found that the length of users' involvement in actively using the Internet drives their level of understanding of Internet security. In terms of the way the users conducted online activities, this research found that younger respondents were less fearful than older respondents. Based on the findings of this research, it is hoped that users' education regarding web application security can be more effectively developed in this increasingly web-centric society.

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