Investigating the use of nudging to dissuade online banking fraud
- Mutyavariri, Takudzwa Stanley
- Authors: Mutyavariri, Takudzwa Stanley
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Electronic commerce Security measures , Bank fraud , Computer security , Behavioral cybersecurity , Decision making Data processing
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419462 , vital:71646
- Description: Online banking is a service offered by most modern banks to provide their clients with a convenient means to access their bank accounts remotely. However, such convenience comes at a cost and has the potential to expose clients to online banking fraud. To mitigate such forms of fraud, banks make extensive use of traditional cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, as well as personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords. However, despite the use of such traditional cybersecurity measures, online banking fraud still occurs. In particular, traditional cybersecurity measures have difficulties detecting the unauthorised use of a customer’s online banking credentials. For this reason, this study’s main objective was to investigate the effectiveness of nudges when used to dissuade the unauthorised use of clients’ online banking credentials. The study also had two secondary objectives: firstly, to identify where the deployment of nudges would be most effective; and secondly, to identify the rationalisations an individual may use to justify committing online banking fraud. Although previous research has sought to understand the use of nudges in various online contexts, none have done so within the context of online banking. Using a recontextualised version of the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation – behaviour) model of behaviour change, nudges were deployed in three versions of a fictitious online banking website. Following this, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with online banking users from the United States of America to understand how a third party may behave and rationalise their choices when they have unauthorised access to a customer’s online banking credentials. The transcripts of these interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the most dissuasive nudges focused on encouraging individuals to empathise with the account holder. Nudges that increased the perception of an online banking website’s security were also particularly dissuasive. The findings also indicated that the most effective place to deploy these nudges was after a user had logged in. Several rationalisations that enabled individuals to commit online baking fraud were found. The three most common were crime of opportunity, down on their luck, and sunk cost fallacy and curiosity. Together, the findings provide evidence to suggest that, if used effectively, nudges could prove useful as a means of dissuading online banking fraud, and even more so when combined with traditional cybersecurity measures. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Information Systems, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Mutyavariri, Takudzwa Stanley
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Electronic commerce Security measures , Bank fraud , Computer security , Behavioral cybersecurity , Decision making Data processing
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419462 , vital:71646
- Description: Online banking is a service offered by most modern banks to provide their clients with a convenient means to access their bank accounts remotely. However, such convenience comes at a cost and has the potential to expose clients to online banking fraud. To mitigate such forms of fraud, banks make extensive use of traditional cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, as well as personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords. However, despite the use of such traditional cybersecurity measures, online banking fraud still occurs. In particular, traditional cybersecurity measures have difficulties detecting the unauthorised use of a customer’s online banking credentials. For this reason, this study’s main objective was to investigate the effectiveness of nudges when used to dissuade the unauthorised use of clients’ online banking credentials. The study also had two secondary objectives: firstly, to identify where the deployment of nudges would be most effective; and secondly, to identify the rationalisations an individual may use to justify committing online banking fraud. Although previous research has sought to understand the use of nudges in various online contexts, none have done so within the context of online banking. Using a recontextualised version of the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation – behaviour) model of behaviour change, nudges were deployed in three versions of a fictitious online banking website. Following this, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with online banking users from the United States of America to understand how a third party may behave and rationalise their choices when they have unauthorised access to a customer’s online banking credentials. The transcripts of these interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the most dissuasive nudges focused on encouraging individuals to empathise with the account holder. Nudges that increased the perception of an online banking website’s security were also particularly dissuasive. The findings also indicated that the most effective place to deploy these nudges was after a user had logged in. Several rationalisations that enabled individuals to commit online baking fraud were found. The three most common were crime of opportunity, down on their luck, and sunk cost fallacy and curiosity. Together, the findings provide evidence to suggest that, if used effectively, nudges could prove useful as a means of dissuading online banking fraud, and even more so when combined with traditional cybersecurity measures. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Information Systems, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
The influence of immuno-contraception on the ecology of African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) in a small game reserve in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Fowler, Natalie
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422269 , vital:71926
- Description: African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) can alter the vegetation structure on a landscape which has both positive and negative consequences for biodiversity. This ecological role can be dependent on the density of elephants in a given area and how the area is transformed. Elephants are currently listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) global red list. Despite this endangered status, strong conservation efforts in southern Africa have increased elephant numbers in protected areas. In South Africa, many of these protected areas are small (<1000 km2) and fenced. Thus, without the freedom to roam over large areas, elephant impacts on vegetation and other ecosystem processes may be exacerbated. Increased growth rates and higher population densities, have prompted wildlife managers to explore several population-level management techniques to slow elephant growth rates in small, protected areas. One such technique is the use of immuno-contraception. My study focused on three datasets (Pre, During and Post porcine zona pellucida (PZP) treatments) of one elephant population over an 18-year period in a small game reserve in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The first aim of my study was to compare the female demography and reproductive parameters of treated (with PZP) and non-treated females (no PZP). I predicted that the population growth would decrease as more elephant cows were contracepted as well as them having longer inter-calving intervals than non-treated cows. Further, I predicted that there would be a skewed sex ratio of male calves born to treated cows. Lastly, I predicted that fertility rates would be lower in treated cows than in non-treated cows. I calculated the annual population growth rates, inter-calving intervals, sex ratios, age at first calving, fecundity rates and fertility rates of all breeding cows. Population growth rates were similar to other managed populations although, compared to a relatively untouched elephant population, annual growth rates in my study site were high. The inter-calving intervals and age at first birth were low compared to other African protected areas which were most likely influenced by the use of PZP, rainfall and a lack of density dependence. Treated cows did not have longer inter-calving intervals compared to non-treated cows nor was there a male biased sex ratio of the offspring of treated cows. The second aim was to assess the spatial ecology of this elephant population and how it may be influenced by immuno-contraception. I predicted that the use of PZP would increase the elephant herd’s core range as there were fewer reproducing cows. I also predicted that PZP would alter the elephant’s habitat use making them less selective in terms of the vegetation types they selected. I compared the home ranges of the elephant population among the three treatments (Pre PZP, During PZP and Post PZP treatment). Home ranges were larger when elephants were treated with PZP compared to the Pre and Post treatments. The herd utilized most of the reserve during the use of PZP whereas prior to contraception, their space use was mostly concentrated on the eastern side of the reserve. Additionally, the vegetation utilization was inconsistent across the differing timeframes, specifically between pre PZP and during PZP. Prior to the use of PZP, the elephant herd utilized the old lands and riverine thicket the most whereas during the use of PZP, the grasslands and karroid habitats were used the most. The most likely influence of the changes in home ranges and vegetation utilization were rainfall, the use of PZP and resource availability. My results suggest that the use of PZP is essential for controlling elephant population numbers. However, there may be some long-term effects (e.g., behavioural changes) of the use of PZP in elephant populations in small game reserves. Thus, I recommend continued monitoring of all aspects of elephant ecology on reserves where PZP is used as a contraceptive technique. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
- Authors: Fowler, Natalie
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422269 , vital:71926
- Description: African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) can alter the vegetation structure on a landscape which has both positive and negative consequences for biodiversity. This ecological role can be dependent on the density of elephants in a given area and how the area is transformed. Elephants are currently listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) global red list. Despite this endangered status, strong conservation efforts in southern Africa have increased elephant numbers in protected areas. In South Africa, many of these protected areas are small (<1000 km2) and fenced. Thus, without the freedom to roam over large areas, elephant impacts on vegetation and other ecosystem processes may be exacerbated. Increased growth rates and higher population densities, have prompted wildlife managers to explore several population-level management techniques to slow elephant growth rates in small, protected areas. One such technique is the use of immuno-contraception. My study focused on three datasets (Pre, During and Post porcine zona pellucida (PZP) treatments) of one elephant population over an 18-year period in a small game reserve in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The first aim of my study was to compare the female demography and reproductive parameters of treated (with PZP) and non-treated females (no PZP). I predicted that the population growth would decrease as more elephant cows were contracepted as well as them having longer inter-calving intervals than non-treated cows. Further, I predicted that there would be a skewed sex ratio of male calves born to treated cows. Lastly, I predicted that fertility rates would be lower in treated cows than in non-treated cows. I calculated the annual population growth rates, inter-calving intervals, sex ratios, age at first calving, fecundity rates and fertility rates of all breeding cows. Population growth rates were similar to other managed populations although, compared to a relatively untouched elephant population, annual growth rates in my study site were high. The inter-calving intervals and age at first birth were low compared to other African protected areas which were most likely influenced by the use of PZP, rainfall and a lack of density dependence. Treated cows did not have longer inter-calving intervals compared to non-treated cows nor was there a male biased sex ratio of the offspring of treated cows. The second aim was to assess the spatial ecology of this elephant population and how it may be influenced by immuno-contraception. I predicted that the use of PZP would increase the elephant herd’s core range as there were fewer reproducing cows. I also predicted that PZP would alter the elephant’s habitat use making them less selective in terms of the vegetation types they selected. I compared the home ranges of the elephant population among the three treatments (Pre PZP, During PZP and Post PZP treatment). Home ranges were larger when elephants were treated with PZP compared to the Pre and Post treatments. The herd utilized most of the reserve during the use of PZP whereas prior to contraception, their space use was mostly concentrated on the eastern side of the reserve. Additionally, the vegetation utilization was inconsistent across the differing timeframes, specifically between pre PZP and during PZP. Prior to the use of PZP, the elephant herd utilized the old lands and riverine thicket the most whereas during the use of PZP, the grasslands and karroid habitats were used the most. The most likely influence of the changes in home ranges and vegetation utilization were rainfall, the use of PZP and resource availability. My results suggest that the use of PZP is essential for controlling elephant population numbers. However, there may be some long-term effects (e.g., behavioural changes) of the use of PZP in elephant populations in small game reserves. Thus, I recommend continued monitoring of all aspects of elephant ecology on reserves where PZP is used as a contraceptive technique. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29