Smart Phone Security Practices: Item Analysis of Mobile Security Behaviors of College Students

Literature Review

Studies show that U.S. smart phone usage has increased dramatically in the past half-decade; the volume of cellular data related to Internet searches and e-commerce has also increased. Smith (2015) found that 64% of American adults owned a smartphone, and smart phone usage is expected to increase by 38 million users in 2018. Also, 87% of Americans ages 30-50+ and 91% of 18-28-year-olds check email via their cell phone (Smith, 2015). The reliance on cell phones and the necessity to feel continually linked are evidence, as 46% of users say they can’t live without their smart phone (Anderson, 2015); “…their mobile phone is the first and last thing they look at each day;” 84% keep their mobile phone next to their bed or in the same room while they sleep (Statistic Brain Research Institute, 2017). Generations Y and Z (born 1997 to present) want instant gratification and have “…less patience for delay of any kind” (Tapscott, 1998, p. 109; Tari, 2011).

Perceptions about mobile device security from both physical and digital security breaches seems to have lagged per Pew Research Center’s study, finding that 28% of all smart phone owners took no measures to secure their devices (Anderson & Olmstead, 2017); see Table 1 for additional findings about users and smart phone security.