User perception and acceptance of security and privacy features in Microsoft Windows.

Abstract

As security and privacy begin to be a major aspect of everyday computing, operating systems such as Microsoft Windows XP SP2 play an important role of securing information on personal computers both in corporate and home environments. With the release of Microsoft Windows Vista in January 2007 and Microsoft Windows being the most commonly used operating system on personal desktop computers, it has become necessary to investigate the use of security and privacy features present in these operating systems. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Corritore et al.'s Trust Model, a theoretical model was developed to better understand the relationships among, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived credibility, perceived risk and trust of security and privacy features (SPFs) in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and Microsoft Windows Vista. The study also examined the impact of external variables on user perceptions of usefulness and ease of use, specifically the extent that perceived usefulness was influenced by awareness of SPF capabilities, and the extent that perceived ease of use was influenced by SPF self-efficacy, interface design of SPFs and prior experience with Microsoft Windows, security software and computers in general.