CHAPTER IV
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter presents the data gathered from the study on cybersecurity
threats and literacy on Facebook among first-year college students of Sta. Teresa
College. The results are systematically analyzed and interpreted to provide
meaningful insights into the students' awareness, vulnerabilities, and experiences
concerning cybersecurity risks on the platform.
1. The Cybersecurity threats encountered by the respondents
Table 1.1 Cybersecurity threats in terms of Scamming
Perception Weighted Mean Verbal
Interpretation
1. Receive a suspicious email, 3.37 Very Familiar
message, or phone call claiming
that I had won a prize or money
2. Have familiarity with fake online 3.00 Familiar
stores or sellers that seemed
legitimate
3. Experience common signs of 2.98 Familiar
fraudulent emails or messages
4. Get messages on Facebook that 3.08 Familiar
seemed real but fake
5. Have familiarity with ordered 2.20 Slightly Familiar
clothes online but never received it
6. Experience almost buying from a 3.44 Very Familiar
suspicious online seller but decided
to check reviews before proceeding.
7. Experience the risks of sharing 2.55 Familiar
personal or financial information
with unknown individuals online
General Weighted Mean 2.95 Familiar
Table 1.1 shows the cybersecurity threats in terms of scamming as experienced
by the respondents. Social media platforms like Facebook have become primary avenues for
online interaction, information sharing, and communication. However, along with these
benefits come increasing cybersecurity risks that threaten users’ privacy and online security.
Among the most prevalent cyber threats are scamming, where cybercriminals deceive users
into providing money or personal information through fraudulent schemes (Furnell &
Dowland, 2010)
Among the perceptions, experience almost buying from a suspicious online
seller but decided to check reviews before proceeding, ranks first with a weighted mean
of 3.44 and familiar as verbal interpretation.
Next in rank is receive a suspicious email, message, or phone call claiming that
I had won a prize or money with a weighted mean of 3.37 and Get messages on
Facebook that seemed real but fake with 3.8 as the weighted mean. The four items
which are lowest in ranks are: h ave familiarity with fake online stores or sellers that
seemed legitimate, experience common signs of fraudulent emails or messages
Experience the risks of sharing personal or financial information with unknown
individuals online and have familiarity with ordered clothes online but never received
it with the weighted mean of 3.00, 2.98, 2.55 and 2.20 with familiar and slightly familiar as
verbal interpretations. Such identified cybersecurity threats in terms of scamming
received a general weighted mean of 2.94 with familiars as verbal interpretation.
Table 1.2 Cybersecurity threats in terms of Phishing Attack
Perception Weighted Mean Verbal
Interpretation
1. I get a suspicious post containing a 3.02 Familiar
link in Facebook.
2. I encounter fake websites or login 2.67 Familiar
pages designed to steal my
credentials.
3. I click on a link in an email or 2.49 Slightly Familiar
message from an unknown sender.
4. I experience changes in my account 2.30 Slightly Familiar
despite not touching.
5. I experience receiving a mail about 2.83 Familiar
identifying and avoiding fake login
attempt.
6. I am familiar with receiving a job 2.54 Familiar
offer email from an unknown
company asking for my personal
details and a small payment to
process my application.
7. I experience receiving a message 2.63 Familiar
asking for sensitive information.
General Weighted Mean 2.64 Familiar
Table 1.2 shows the cybersecurity threats in terms of phishing attacks that first
year college students experienced. Social Media platforms like Facebook becomes a
source of interaction between people. Phishing attacks consist of three phases:
delivering the phish to the victim, getting the victim to notice the phish and act, and
then using the illegally obtained data from the victim (Tandale & Pawar, 2020).
Although phishing attacks were once primarily a concern for email users, they have
also been conducted through other communication pathways, such as social media
(e.g., Benenson et al., 2017; Shafahi et al., 2016). For example, in a study
conducted on Facebook, the researchers, posing as an unknown user, sent out a link
through a Facebook message to direct participants to pictures from a fictional party
(Benenson et al., 2017). Among the questions listed, them experiencing on getting a
suspicious post containing a link in Facebook gets the highest rank with the weighted
mean of 3.02 and familiar as verbal interpretation.
Next is second rank is that respondents experienced on receiving a mail
about identifying and avoiding fake login attempt with a weighted mean of 2.83 and a
verbal interpretation of familiar. In third rank the respondents experienced fake
websites or login pages designed to steal their credentials with a weighting mean of
2.67 and a verbal interpretation of familiar. In fourth rank is when the respondents
experienced on receiving messages asking for sensitive information with a weighted
mean of 2.63 with a verbal interpretation of familiar. In fifth rank is when respondents
experienced receiving a job offer email from an unknown company asking for my
personal details and a small payment to process my application with a weighted
mean of 2.54 with a verbal interpretation of familiar. In sixth rank respondents
experienced on clicking a link with an email or message from an unknown sender
with a weighted mean of 2.49 and a verbal interpretation of slightly familiar. And the
lowest rank among the questionnaires, respondents experienced changes on their
account even though they never touched it with a weighted mean of 2.30 and a
verbal interpretation of slightly familiar. Despite that they achieved high and low
ranks respondents are familiar with their experience in cybersecurity threats and the
general weighted mean of 2.64, they’ve experienced such threats and know what
they mean.
Table 1.3 Cybersecurity threats in terms of Account Hacking
Perception Weighted Verbal
Mean Interpretation
1 I am familiar with my online account 2.39 Slightly Familiar
. being manipulated.
2 I am warned by a friend or contact 2.39 Slightly Familiar
. that my account had been hacked
and received suspicious messages
from me.
3 I receive a notification about 2.73 Familiar
. suspicious activity on my account.
4 I experience that my Facebook 2.46 Familiar
. password is being opened by anyone
else.
5 I experience suspicious activities, 2.60 Familiar
. such as login attempts from unknown
devices.
6 I experience dealing with account 2.44 Slightly Familiar
. recovery after being compromised.
7 I have lost money or incurred financial 1.76 Slightly Familiar
. harm due to my social media account
being taken over.
General Weighted Mean 2.40 Slightly
Familiar
Table 1.3 presents the cybersecurity threats in terms of account hacking that
first-year college students experienced. Hacking works by exploiting vulnerabilities in
cybersecurity defenses to achieve specific goals, such as gaining unauthorized
access to networks, devices, or sensitive data. Hackers may target anything from
computers and phones to devices and specific software to carry out their attacks.
First, the hacker gathers information about their target to understand how the system
works. Then, they look for any vulnerabilities they can exploit to gain access. Once
they find a way into a system, they can spy on activity, collect sensitive data, inject
malware, or carry out other aims. After, they’ll try to hide their tracks by removing
evidence of the hack (Buxton, 2025). Among the account hacking threats listed, the
highest rank that has a weighted mean of 2.73 and a verbal interpretation of Familiar
corresponds to receiving notifications about suspicious activity on their accounts.
This suggests that notifications from online platforms are a common experience
among respondents. Next rank received suspicious login attempts from unknown
devices with a weighted mean of 2.60 and a verbal interpretation of Familiar. In third
rank we have Facebook password being accessed by others with a weighted mean
of 2.46 and a verbal interpretation of Familiar which are also concerns that
respondents encounter relatively often. In fourth rank we have dealing with account
recovery after being compromised with a weighted mean of 2.44 and a verbal
interpretation of Slightly Familiar. In fifth rank is having warned by friends about
account hacking and experiencing account manipulation with a weighted mean of
2.39 and a verbal interpretation of Slightly Familiar. And the lowest rank among the
questionnaires with a weighted mean of 1.76 and a verbal interpretation of Slightly
Familiar is losing money or incurring financial harm due to social media account
takeovers. even though the respondents reached both high and low ranks, they are
knowledgeable about their experience with cybersecurity threats. and the general
weighted mean of 2.40, which falls under the category of Slightly Familiar, indicates
that most respondents have limited awareness or experience regarding these
threats.
2. The level of Cybersecurity literacy of the respondents
Table 2. Cybersecurity literacy
Perception Weighted Verbal
Mean Interpretation
1. I educate myself about new 3.46 Very Familiar
cybersecurity threats
2. I regularly back up important data to 3.33 Very Familiar
a secure location.
3. I review the privacy settings on my 3.49 Very Familiar
Facebook accounts.
4. I received a security alert and taken 3.45 Very Familiar
action to protect my Facebook
account.
5. I enable two-factor authentication 3.25 Very Familiar
on my online accounts.
6. I considered how my personal data 3.15 Familiar
is being collected and used online.
7. I avoid sharing my personal 3.58 Very Familiar
information publicly on my
Facebook account.
8. I logged out from my Facebook 2.90 Familiar
accounts after use.
9. I avoid clicking on links or 3.47 Very Familiar
downloading attachments from
unknown sources.
10. I seek out reliable resources to stay 3.42 Very Familiar
informed about cybersecurity
threats.
General Weighted Mean 3.35 Very Familiar
Table 2 shows the level of literacy in cybersecurity that first-year college students
experienced. Cyber Literacy means the ability to use computer technologies
effectively and to simultaneously understand the implications of those actions. It is
also important to know where to go to find reliable and accurate resources in
cyberspace, otherwise known as cyber intelligence (Kapon, 2018). Among the
account hacking threats listed, the first rank that has a weighted mean of 3.58 and a
verbal interpretation of Very Familiar, avoiding sharing personal information publicly
on Facebook account. Next rank is reviewing the privacy settings on Facebook
accounts with a weighted mean of 3.49 and a verbal interpretation of Very Familiar.
In third is avoiding clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown
sources with a weighted mean of 3.47 and a verbal interpretation of Very Familiar. In
fourth rank is educating myself about new cybersecurity threats with a weighted
mean of 3.46 and a verbal interpretation of Very Familiar. In fifth rank is receiving a
security alert and taken action to protect Facebook account with a weighted mean of
3.45 and a verbal interpretation of Very Familiar. In Sixth rank is seeking out reliable
resources to stay informed about cybersecurity threats with a weighted mean of 3.42
and a verbal interpretation of Verry Familiar. In Seventh rank is regularly backing up
important data to a secure location with a weighted mean of 3.33 and a verbal
interpretation of Very Familiar. In Eighth rank is enable two-factor authentication on
online accounts with a weighted mean of 3.25 and a verbal interpretation of Very
Familiar. In Ninth rank is considering how personal data is being collected and used
online with a weighted mean of 3.15 and a verbal interpretation of Familiar. Lastly the
lowest rank among all the questionnaires with a weighted mean of 2.90 and a verbal
interpretation of Familiar is logged out from Facebook accounts after use. Even
though the respondents experienced both high and low ranks, they are
knowledgeable about their experience with the threats. The general weighted mean
of 3.35 with a verbal interpretation of Very Familiar, this indicates that the most
respondents have limited awareness or experience regarding these threats.