“Information Is Motivation”: A Critical Perspective on Awareness and Compliance in Military Cybersecurity

As digital technologies become increasingly embedded in military operations, understanding the human dimensions of cybersecurity is critical. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and 91 qualitative interviews with Norwegian Navy personnel, the study examines how awareness, knowledge and behaviour align with regulations on smartphones, apps and social media. Awareness is generally high, yet compliance varies and is more strongly influenced by knowledge of risks and consequences than by awareness alone. Social and organisational dynamics, including peer norms, perceptions of acceptable behaviour and informal practices within units, also shape conduct. By focusing on lived experience, the study addresses a gap in cybersecurity research and shows that effective digital security in defence contexts requires not only technical measures but accessible tools, meaningful rules and leadership that reinforce institutional norms of digital responsibility.