Antecedents of customer awareness in banking security: a protection motivation theory-based systematic review

This study examines the factors influencing customer awareness in personal banking security, with particular emphasis on the Sri Lankan context, where rising cyber-fraud incidents highlight the need for stronger customer awareness. While prior research has focused on technology adoption and security behavior, evidence on the antecedents of customer awareness remains fragmented. A PRISMA-guided systematic literature review of thirty-eight empirical studies indexed in Scopus was conducted using Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) as the primary analytical framework. The review synthesizes findings related to threat appraisal, coping appraisal, and additional factors influencing awareness in digital banking security. The results show that self-efficacy and response efficacy are the most consistent drivers of awareness, while perceived severity and vulnerability show mixed effects. Social influence, fear, and trust further shape awareness beyond PMT’s core constructs. The findings are contextualized to Sri Lanka, offering insights to strengthen local banking security awareness strategies.