The ubiquity of devices connected to the internet raises concerns about the security and privacy of smart homes. The effectiveness of interventions to support secure user behaviors is limited by a lack of validated instruments to measure relevant psychological constructs, such as self-efficacy - the belief that one is able to perform certain behaviors. We developed and validated the Cybersecurity Self-Efficacy in Smart Homes (CySESH) scale, a 12-item unidimensional measure of domain-specific self-efficacy beliefs, across five studies (N = 1247). Three pilot studies generated and refined an item pool. We report evidence from one initial and one major, preregistered validation study for (1) excellent reliability (α = 0.90), (2) convergent validity with self-efficacy in information security (rSEIS = 0.64, p < .001), and (3) discriminant validity with outcome expectations (rOE = 0.26, p < .001), self-esteem (rRSE = 0.17, p < .001), and optimism (rLOT-R = 0.18, p < .001). We discuss CySESH's potential to advance future HCI research on cybersecurity, practitioner user assessments, and implications for consumer protection policy.
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