Click with Care: Understanding Cybersecurity Awareness in Digital Financial Transactions in Malaysia

Daisy Mui Hung Kee, Hui Ni Lim, Boon Chuen Lim, Hui Yeng Lim, Shuet Enn Lim, Wei Yih Lim, A. J. Ali

Abstract


In today’s digital age, cybersecurity awareness in financial transactions is critical, especially within the banking sector. Maybank, as Malaysia’s top-ranked bank and one of the leading global financial institutions, must prioritize cybersecurity awareness to address increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. This study investigates the factors influencing cybersecurity awareness among Maybank customers, focusing on perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, risk, and convenience. Data were collected through a survey of 204 users and analyzed using regression techniques. The results show that perceived risk is the strongest predictor of cybersecurity awareness, followed by perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and trust. Perceived ease of use is also significantly and negatively related to perceived risk, indicating that user-friendly systems reduce users’ risk perceptions. Additionally, perceived convenience has a significant positive effect on both perceived trust and perceived risk, though it does not directly influence cybersecurity awareness. These findings highlight the critical roles of trust and risk perception in shaping user behavior and suggest that improving usability and fostering trust are key strategies for enhancing cybersecurity awareness. The study offers practical insights for financial institutions aiming to promote secure digital banking environments and strengthen customer engagement with cybersecurity practices.


Keywords


Cybersecurity Awareness; Digital Banking; Perceived Ease of Use; Perceived Risk; Perceived Trust; User Behavior

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ahmad, I., Khan, S., & Iqbal, S. (2024). Guardians of the vault: Unmasking online threats and fortifying e-banking security, a systematic review. Journal of Financial Crime, 31(6), 1485–1501. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-11-2023-0302

Akinsola, J. E. T., Akinseinde, S., Kalesanwo, O., Adeagbo, M., Oladapo, K., Awoseyi, A., & Kasali, F. (2021). Application of artificial intelligence in user interfaces design for cyber security threat modeling. In Software Usability. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96534

Akintoye, R., Ogunode, O., Ajayi, M., & Joshua, A. A. (2022). Cyber security and financial innovation of selected deposit money banks in Nigeria. Universal Journal of Accounting and Finance, 10(3), 643–652. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujaf.2022.100302

Al-Alawi, A. I., Al-Khaja, N. A., & Mehrotra, A. A. (2023). Women in cybersecurity: A study of the digital banking sector in Bahrain. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 25(1), 306–321.

Aldas-Manzano, J., Ruiz-Mafe, C., Sanz-Blas, S., & Lassala-Navarré, C. (2010). Internet banking loyalty: evaluating the role of trust, satisfaction, perceived risk and frequency of use. The Service Industries Journal, 31(7), 1165–1190. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642060903433997

Alharbi, T., & Tassaddiq, A. (2021). Assessment of cybersecurity awareness among students of Majmaah University. Big Data and Cognitive Computing, 5(2), Article 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/bdcc5020023

Alzoubi, H., Alshurideh, M., Kurdi, B., Alhyasat, K., & Ghazal, T. (2022). The effect of e-payment and online shopping on sales growth: Evidence from the banking industry. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 6(4), 1369–1380. http://dx.doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2022.5.014

Aryani, D. N., Nair, R. K., Hoo, D. X. Y., Kee, D. M. H., Lim, D. H. R., Chandran, D. R., Chew, W. P., & Desai, A. (2021). A study on consumer behaviour: Transition from traditional shopping to online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Applied Business and International Management, 6(2), 81–95. https://doi.org/10.32535/ijabim.v6i2.1170

Bajwa, I. A., Ahmad, S., Mahmud, M., & Bajwa, F. A. (2023). The impact of cyberattacks awareness on customers’ trust and commitment: An empirical evidence from the Pakistani banking sector. Information and Computer Security, 31(5), 635–654. https://doi.org/10.1108/ICS-11-2022-0179

Bernama. (2024, November 18). Malaysia tops Asia in scam revictimisation rate. Bernama. https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2364854

Cele, N. N., & Kwenda, S. (2025). Do cybersecurity threats and risks have an impact on the adoption of digital banking? A systematic literature review. Journal of Financial Crime, 32(1), 31–48. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-10-2023-0263

Damghanian, H., Zarei, A., & Siahsarani Kojuri, M. A. (2016). Impact of perceived security on trust, perceived risk, and acceptance of online banking in Iran. Journal of Internet Commerce, 15(3), 214–238. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332861.2016.1191052

Dodge, C. E., Fisk, N., Burruss, G. W., Moule Jr, R. K., & Jaynes, C. M. (2023). What motivates users to adopt cybersecurity practices? A survey experiment assessing protection motivation theory. Criminology & Public Policy, 22(4), 849-868. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12641

Folorunso, A., Wada, I., Samuel, B., & Mohammed, V. (2024). Security compliance and its implication for cybersecurity. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 24(01), 2105-2121. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.24.1.3170

Frydenberg, M., & Lorenz, B. (2020). Lizards in the street! Introducing cybersecurity awareness in a digital literacy context. Information Systems Education Journal, 18(4), 33–45.

Gasiba, T. E., Lechner, U., & Pinto-Albuquerque, M. (2020). Sifu – A cybersecurity awareness platform with challenge assessment and intelligent coach. Cybersecurity, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42400-020-00064-4

Griffiths, T. (2023). Protecting from online banking fraud: Risk awareness and prevention strategies. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, 29(S1), 1–2.

Hair Jr, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2014). Multivariate Data Analysis. Pearson Education.

Han, H., Yu, J., & Kim, W. (2019). An electric airplane: Assessing the effect of travelers' perceived risk, attitude, and new product knowledge. Journal of Air Transport Management, 78, 33-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2019.04.004

Harridge?March, S. (2006). Can the building of trust overcome consumer perceived risk online?. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 24(7), 746-761. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634500610711897

Hashem, T. N. (2020). Examining the influence of covid 19 pandemic in changing customers' orientation towards e-shopping. Modern Applied Science, 14(8), 59-76. https://doi.org/10.5539/MAS.V14N8P59

Johri, A., & Kumar, S. (2023). Exploring customer awareness towards their cyber security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A study in the era of banking digital transformation. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2023(1), 2103442. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/2103442

Kaulu, B., Kaulu, G., & Chilongo, P. (2024). Factors influencing customers’ intention to adopt e-banking: A TAM and cybercrime perspective using structural equation modelling. Journal of Money and Business, 4(1), 38–53. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmb-01-2024-0007

Kaur, S., & Arora, S. (2020). Role of perceived risk in online banking and its impact on behavioral intention: Trust as a moderator. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 15(1), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1108/jabs-08-2019-0252

Kee, D. M. H., & Anwar, A. (2024). Women's empowerment, gender inequality, and financial inclusion: Evidence from a developing country. In The Economics of Financial Inclusion (pp. 193-209). Routledge.

Kee, D. M. H., Ang, V. W. N., Lee, Y. Y., Vehlan, L. S. A. S., Lee, L. X., Lee, S. M., & Ardel, M. R. (2024). Golden arches going green: The impact of fast-food restaurant’s sustainability achievements on public image. Advances in Global Economics and Business Journal, 5(1), 27–43.

Kee, D. M. H., Gan, Z. W., Chan, Y. Q., Lee, H. T., Tan, X. Y., & Lee, S. W. (2021). Customer satisfaction and brand loyalty: A case study of Nestlé. Advances in Global Economics and Business Journal, 2(1), 13–26.

Kee, D. M. H., Hisam, N. N. B. N., Abd Rashid, N. H. B., Abdul Aziz, N. S. B., Mazlan, N. A. B., & Mahadi, N. A. Z. B. (2021). The impact of using cashless payment during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of Maybank. International Journal of Accounting Finance in Asia Pacific, 4, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.32535/ijafap.v4i2.1118

Kim, D., & Song, H. (2024). Designing an age-friendly conversational AI agent for mobile banking: The effects of voice modality and lip movement. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 187, 103262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2024.103262

Kim, Y., & Peterson, R. A. (2017). A meta-analysis of online trust relationships in e-commerce. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 38(1), 44–54.

Kostyuk, N., & Wayne, C. (2021). The microfoundations of state cybersecurity: Cyber risk perceptions and the mass public. Journal of Global Security Studies, 6(2), ogz077. https://doi.org/10.1093/jogss/ogz077

Lahcen, R. A. M., Caulkins, B., Mohapatra, R., & Kumar, M. (2020). Review and insight on the behavioral aspects of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity, 3, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42400-020-00050-w

Liang, H., Kee, D. M. H., & Zainal, S. R. M. (2024). Leveraging fintech services to drive financial inclusion among women in development and emerging markets: A case study in Malaysia. In The Economics of Financial Inclusion (pp. 243-256). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032655185

Liu, X., Ahmad, S. F., Anser, M. K., Ke, J., Irshad, M., Ul-Haq, J., & Abbas, S. (2022). Cyber security threats: A never-ending challenge for e-commerce. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 927398. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.927398

Makhitha, K. M., & Ngobeni, K. (2021). The influence of demographic factors on perceived risks affecting attitude towards online shopping. South African Journal of Information Management, 23(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajim.v23i1.1283

Malay Mail. (2024, June 19). Police: Four bank employees among 13 detained in RM24.2m bank fraud probe. Malay Mail. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/06/19/police-four-bank-employees-among-13-detained-in-rm242m-bank-fraud-probe/140492

Mator, J. D., Lehman, W. E., McManus, W., Powers, S., Tiller, L., Unverricht, J. R., & Still, J. D. (2021). Usability: adoption, measurement, value. Human factors, 63(6), 956-973. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018720819895098

Musthafa, A. (2023, April 5). Hundreds of thousands of ringgit lost in online banking thefts. The Sun. https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/hundreds-of-thousands-of-ringgit-lost-in-online-banking-thefts-CK10832671

Nair, R. K., Ganatra, V., Xiang, O. T., Kee, D. M. H., Ying, O. P., Xuan, T. J., ... & Mehta, V. (2020). A study on the winning steps Maybank undertake to gain and sustain customers. Advances in Global Economics and Business Journal, 1(2), 45-54.

Nawi, N. H. A., Mohamed, S., & Ramdzan, M. R. (2023). Understanding the social commerce scam and consumers self disclosure. International Journal of Business and Technology Management, 5(2), 251-262.

Normalini, M. K., & Ramayah, T. (2019). The impact of security factors towards internet banking usage intention among Malaysians. Global Business and Management Research, 11(2), 241-251.

Primandari, I. D. A. A. Y., & Suprapti, N. W. S. (2022). The role of trust mediates the effect of perceived ease of use and perceived risk on intention to reuse QRIS payment methods. International Journal of Business, Economics & Management, 5(3), 201-210. https://doi.org/10.21744/ijbem.v5n3.1942

Rouibah, K., Lowry, P. B., & Hwang, Y. (2016). The effects of perceived enjoyment and perceived risks on trust formation and intentions to use online payment systems: New perspectives from an Arab country. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 19, 33-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2016.07.001

Salem, M. Z., Baidoun, S., & Walsh, G. (2019). Factors affecting Palestinian customers’ use of online banking services. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 37(2), 426-451. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-08-2018-0210

Shaukat, K., Luo, S., Varadharajan, V., Hameed, I. A., & Xu, M. (2020). A survey on machine learning techniques for cyber security in the last decade. IEEE Access, 8, 222310–222354. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCWS48432.2020.9292388

Snyder, D. R., & Blevins, D. E. (1986). Business and university technical research cooperation: Some important issues. Journal of Product Innovation Management: An International Publication of the Product Development & Management Association, 3(2), 136-144. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-5885.320136

Stanikzai, A. Q., & Shah, M. A. (2021, December). Evaluation of cyber security threats in banking systems. In 2021 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (SSCI) (pp. 1-4). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/SSCI50451.2021.9659862

Thach, N. N., Hanh, H. T., Huy, D. T. N., Nga, L. T. V., Huong, L. T. T., & Vu, Q. N. (2021). technology quality management of the industry 4.0 and cybersecurity risk management on current banking activities in emerging markets-the case in Vietnam. International Journal for Quality Research, 15(3), 845-860. https://doi.org/10.24874/IJQR15.03-10

The Association of Banks in Malaysia. (2024, January 24). More than RM350 million in fraudulent transactions blocked during the first ten months of 2023. The Association of Banks in Malaysia. https://www.abm.org.my/press-releases/more-than-rm350-million-in-fraudulent-transactions-blocked-during-the-first-ten-months-of-2023/

Tiwari, P. (2021). Electronic banking adoption in Ethiopia: an empirical investigation. SN Business & Economics, 1(9), 112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43546-021-00114-0

To, A. T., & Trinh, T. H. M. (2021). Understanding behavioral intention to use mobile wallets in vietnam: Extending the tam model with trust and enjoyment. Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), 1891661. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2021.1891661

Wang, V., Nnaji, H., & Jung, J. (2020). Internet banking in Nigeria: Cyber security breaches, practices and capability. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 62, 100415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlcj.2020.100415

Wongmahesak, K., Singh, B., & Kaunert, C. (2025). The complex interplay of generational differences, digital literacy, and cybercrime fear. Asian Crime and Society Review, 12(1), 3-3. https://doi.org/10.14456/acsr.2025.3

Yang, M., Mamun, A. A., Mohiuddin, M., Nawi, N. C., & Zainol, N. R. (2021). Cashless transactions: A study on intention and adoption of e-wallets. Sustainability, 13(2), 831. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020831

Yeo, C., Kee, D. M. H., Mo, X. Y., Ang, H. E., Chua, S. M., Agnihotri, S., & Pandey, S. (2020). Technology advancement and growth: A case study of Huawei. Journal of the Community Development in Asia Pasific, 3(1), 82-91. https://doi.org/10.32535/jcda.v3i1.711

Yo, P. W., Kee, D. M. H., Yu, J. W., Hu, M. K., Jong, Y. C., Ahmed, Z., ... & Nair, R. K. (2021). The influencing factors of customer satisfaction: A case study of Shopee in Malaysia. Studies of Applied Economics, 39(12), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.25115/eea.v39i12.6839

Zwilling, M., Klien, G., Lesjak, D., Wiechetek, ?., Cetin, F., & Basim, H. N. (2022). Cyber security awareness, knowledge and behavior: A comparative study. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 62(1), 82-97. https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2020.1712269




DOI: https://doi.org/10.32535/ijthap.v8i2.3993

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Daisy Mui Hung Kee, Hui Ni Lim, Boon Chuen Lim, Hui Yeng Lim, Shuet Enn Lim, Wei Yih Lim, A. J. Ali

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality in Asia Pacific (IJTHAP)

ISSN 2685-8800 (Print) | ISSN 2654-7945 (Online)

DOI Prefix: 10.32535 by CrossRef

Published by AIBPM Publisher

JL. Kahuripan No. 9, Hotel Sahid Montana, Malang, Indonesia

Email: journal.ijthap@gmail.com

Phone: +62 341 366222

Website: https://ejournal.aibpmjournals.com/index.php/IJTHAP

Governed by

Association of International Business and Professional Management

Email: admin@aibpm.org

Website: https://www.aibpm.org/

Indexed by

Garuda Google Scholar Dimensions Scilit ROAD Crossref Index Copernicus

Licensing Information

Creative Commons License
International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality in Asia Pacific (IJTHAP) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

Visitor Statistics

Flag Counter

View IJTHAP Stats

Follow Us: