Strengthening Cybersecurity Resilience: An Investigation of Customers’ Adoption of Emerging Security Tools in Mobile Banking Apps

The rise in internet-based services has raised risks of data exposure. The manipulation and exploitation of sensitive data significantly impact individuals’ resilience—the ability to protect and prepare against cyber incidents. Emerging technologies seek to enhance cybersecurity resilience by developing various security tools. This study aims to explore the adoption of security tools using a qualitative research approach. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with users of mobile banking apps from Pakistan. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which revealed that biometric authentication and SMS alerts are commonly used. Limited use of multifactor authentication has been observed, mainly due to a lack of awareness or implementation knowledge. Passwords are still regarded as a trusted and secure mechanism. The findings indicate that the adoption of security tools is based on perceptions of usefulness, perceived trust, and perceived ease of use, while knowledge and awareness play a moderating role. This study also proposes a framework by extending TAM to include multiple security tools and introducing knowledge and awareness as a moderator influencing users’ perceptions. The findings inform practical implications for financial institutions, application developers, and policymakers to ensure standardized policy to include security tools in online financial platforms, thereby enhancing overall cybersecurity resilience.