Decolonising BIS

The “Decolonising Behavioral Information Security” project explores the influence of social norms on online privacy attitudes across three culturally distinct regions: Tanzania, Mali, and Sweden. In an increasingly digital world, understanding how cultural contexts shape individuals’ behaviors and attitudes towards privacy is crucial for developing more effective and inclusive information security practices.

This research aims to uncover the ways in which social norms influence online privacy perceptions and actions within these diverse settings. By comparing the experiences and attitudes in Tanzania, Mali, and Sweden, the project seeks to identify both universal and region-specific factors that impact online privacy.

Although currently unfunded, this project is driven by a commitment to advance the discourse on decolonizing behavioral information security, challenging the traditional, Western-centric models that often dominate the field. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the development of culturally informed security practices that are more aligned with the values and needs of different communities worldwide.

This ongoing research will provide valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and practitioners interested in the intersection of culture, social norms, and information security, and will lay the groundwork for future studies and collaborations in this emerging area.

The project has been submitted to several funding calls to date. Published papers from preliminary studies that contributed to the development of this project can be found here