Scribd
Upload
20 views5 pages

Cyber Security Awareness in Karnataka Colleges

The study investigates cyber security awareness among college students in Karnataka, India, highlighting a significant lack of awareness, particularly among female and rural students. Using a structured questionnaire with 250 participants, the research found that male, urban, and science & technology students exhibited higher awareness levels. The findings emphasize the need for enhanced cyber security education and awareness programs in educational institutions.

Uploaded by

shlokparekh110
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
20 views5 pages

Cyber Security Awareness in Karnataka Colleges

The study investigates cyber security awareness among college students in Karnataka, India, highlighting a significant lack of awareness, particularly among female and rural students. Using a structured questionnaire with 250 participants, the research found that male, urban, and science & technology students exhibited higher awareness levels. The findings emphasize the need for enhanced cyber security education and awareness programs in educational institutions.

Uploaded by

shlokparekh110
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: [Link]

net/publication/370595116

CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS IN KARNATAKA,


INDIA

Conference Paper · March 2022

CITATIONS READS

10 364

3 authors, including:

Biju .M Jaspreet Kaur


Kristu Jayanti College Kristu Jayanti College
21 PUBLICATIONS 11 CITATIONS 36 PUBLICATIONS 305 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Jaspreet Kaur on 12 June 2024.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.


Re-Inventing Business through Digitalization and Innovation (RBTDI)

CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS IN


KARNATAKA, INDIA

Mr. Biju M, Mr. Jagadeesh K.K


& Dr. Jaspreet Kaur
Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce
KristuJayanti College, Bengaluru

Abstract
The invention of the internet and the latest technology, there are many Cybercrime reported especially
youngsters because of the lack of awareness about Cyber Security. Nowadays Cyber security is important as
everything is linked with the internet. The latest smartphones facilitate all the internet services but it leads to
various Cybercrime also because of the unawareness of the usage of the [Link] users are facing online
fraud, phishing, virus attack and in this sense, awareness programs are essential to the students. In this study
the investigator attempt to study the college students’ awareness about Cyber security through the structured
questionnaire from the survey of a total of 250 samples from students from the various stream of education in
Karnataka State.
Keywords:Cybercrime, Cyber Security awareness

Introduction
The government of India has taken several steps to encourage and promote the Digital
world and seeking to create a digitally empowered economy. Because ofthe COVID-19
pandemic, many of the services are available through the internet. In this view, Cyber
security awareness is essential as most of the activities are varied through the internet. With
the emergence of online classes, all the students are spending most of their time with
smartphones and computers. The internet is widely considered one of the most valuable
innovations in the world but it has some negative sides also, especially for students. Social
media platforms and online transactions are nowadays popular with students but only a few
of them have good awareness about Cyber security while using the Internet. The Cyber-
attack is not limited to students, organizations, and individuals also the victim of Cyber-
attack.

Need and Significance of the Study


With the transformation of offline classes into online classes, students are using the
internet not only for attending classes but also to refer to online materials and websites.
College students are spending most of their time on the internet. Many of the services are
offered online and it will help the people, but most of them are not aware of Cyber Security.
In this way, awareness about the Cyber Security and training at the college level is needed.
This study was conducted to check the awareness of Cyber Security among college students
and to compare based on different groups.

Objectives of the Study


To find the Cyber security awareness of college students based on the followingfroups
a) Gender : Male / Female
b) Locality : Rural / Urban
c) Stream of Study : Arts / Science & technology

Hypothesis of the Study


There is no significant difference in Cyber security awareness of college students based
onthe following groups
a) Gender : Male / Female

38
Re-Inventing Business through Digitalization and Innovation (RBTDI)

b) Locality : Rural / Urban


c) Stream of Study : Arts / Science & technology

Review of Literature
This digital world offers numerous benefits, but it also introduces new threats that are
often ignored. Early Internet developers' expectations and predictions for the Internet's
growth were far exceeded. Because of our increasing reliance on digital equipment and
programmes to conduct our daily lives, including the transfer and storage of personal
information, cyber security has become increasingly critical. (Chouchri, Madnick, and
Ferwerda, 2014).
According to Kim (2013), major users of digital equipment are typically the ones that are
least conscious of cyber security risks and [Link] is tough to put in place a security
awareness programme. The use of creativity in disseminating content and participation
experiences are two measures that predict the probability of security awareness
success.(Manke& Winkler, 2013)
Social media platforms are an integral part of our daily lives, it is one of the
majorsources of security [Link] ensure that information is correctly comprehended, the
medium in which it is communicated is necessary. (Thomson & Von Solms, 1998).

Methodology
The survey method used to collect the data and population for the study is the College
students in Karnataka State. 250 sample selected for the study and the sample was selected
giving due representation to Gender, Locality, and Stream of study. Cyber Security
Awareness Test developed by the author was used for data collection. To find the significant
difference between the various groups,a t-test was used.

Data Analysis and Interpretation


Table-1 Comparison of Cyber Security Awareness
among College Students based on Gender
Group N Mean SD Df t-value
Male 150 57.34 1.37
248 15.47
Female 100 54.89 1.11
Significant at 0.01 level

The table1 shows that the ‗t‘ value is 15.47 which is significant at 0.01 level. Therefore
there is a significant difference in the awareness of Cyber Security among male and female
students. From the table, it may be concluded that males are more aware of Cyber Security
as compared to females. This indicates the need for raising the educational level to fight the
epidemic.

Table 2: Comparison of Cyber Security Awareness


among College Students based on Locality
Group N Mean SD Df t-value
Rural 130 53.13 1.112
248 11.95
Urban 120 54.81 1.120
Significant at 0.01 level

39
Re-Inventing Business through Digitalization and Innovation (RBTDI)

The table2 shows that the ‗t‘ value is 11.95 which is significant at 0.01 level. Therefore
there is a significant difference in the awareness of Cyber Security among rural and urban
students. From the table, it may be concluded that the students from the urban areas are
more aware of Cyber Security as compared to rural areas.

Table 3: Comparison of Cyber Security Awareness


among College Students based on Stream of Study
Group N Mean SD Df t-value
Arts 115 53.03 1.36
Science & 248 11.66
135 57.12 1.48
Technology
Significant at 0.01 level

The table3 shows that the ‗t‘ value is 11.67 which is significant at 0.01 level. Therefore
arts and Science & technology college students differ significantly in their awareness related
to Cyber Security.

Major Findings
1. Male and female college students differed significantly in their awareness about
Cyber Security. The mean score of male students indicate that they are more aware
than female students
2. Rural and urban college students differed significantly in their awareness about
Cyber Security. It is evident from the analysis of the data that urban students are
more aware than rural students
3. Arts and Science & technology stream students differed significantly in their
awareness about Cyber Security. The mean score indicates that Science & technology
stream students are more aware of Cyber Security than arts stream students

Conclusion
Cyber Security awareness is essential in this modern world. The data stored in the
computer or smartphone is a valuable asset. Cyber security awareness is essential to
safeguard it from unauthorized access or viruses. Major security threats which are harmful
to the computer and smartphones are malicious code, Phishing, Hacking, Spoofing, Social
network issues, Mobile security issues, etc. Ransomware attacks recently reported many
cases in India. In this situation, awareness about Cyber security from young people is
necessary to the modern world.

Suggestion
In this modern world,the internet played a significant role and is helpful to all areas.
Cyber security awareness is essential to all those who are using computers and
smartphones. Updated software, system, and antivirus software can protect against
cybercrime and it is necessary to update regularly. Unknown mail or attachments usually
received in the spam mail from untrusted websites will affect the system. Nowadays
everything happening through the internet and most of the time we are sharing our personal
information also. It is the responsibility of the user to check the authenticity of the website
and applications before giving personal [Link]-attacks are more likely to affect

40
Re-Inventing Business through Digitalization and Innovation (RBTDI)

female students, awareness of the females is required to the young age students at the
institution level.

References
1. Choucri, N., Madnick, S., &Ferwerda, J. (2014). Institutions for Cyber Security:
International Responses and Global Imperatives. Information Technology for
Development, 20(2), 96-121.
2. Jabee, R., &Afshar, M. (2016). Issues and challenges of cyber security for social
networking sites (Facebook). International Journal of Computer Applications, 144(3),
36-40.
3. Van Heerden, R., Von Solms, S., & Vorster, J. (2018, May). Major security incidents
since 2014: an African perspective. In 2018 IST-Africa Week Conference (IST-Africa)
(pp. Page-1). IEEE
4. Thomson, M. E., & Von Solms, R. (1998). Information security awareness: educating
yourusers effectively. Information management & computer security, 6(4), 167-173.

41

View publication stats

Common questions

Powered by AI

The variation in cyber security awareness among college students is influenced by gender, locality, and stream of study. Male students show higher awareness compared to female students. Urban students are more aware than their rural counterparts. Students enrolled in Science & Technology programs have higher awareness levels than those in Arts. These differences are attributed to varying levels of exposure to technology and cybersecurity education .

Integrating cyber security education into the curriculum is significant as it directly addresses the identified gaps in awareness among different student groups. By educating students on the risks and protective measures, institutions can enhance cyber safety, promoting responsible digital citizenship. This integration is essential in a progressively digital environment where students frequently interact with online platforms .

Implementing cyber security awareness programs among college students in India is crucial because these students are highly engaged in digital activities that expose them to online risks like fraud, phishing, and malware. As most activities shift online due to the digitalization push from the government and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, awareness is necessary to protect their personal information and prevent cybercrime. Increasing awareness would help mitigate risks associated with their significant use of the internet for education and social interaction .

The study's findings are relevant in the context of increasing cybercrime rates because they highlight critical gaps in awareness among students, who are frequent internet users. By understanding these deficiencies, policies can be crafted to address them, potentially reducing personal and financial vulnerabilities to cybercrime. Increased awareness can serve as a deterrent against activities like phishing and ransomware, prevalent in India's growing digital landscape .

The findings suggest that policymakers should integrate comprehensive cyber security awareness programs into the educational curriculum, especially targeting underrepresented groups like female and rural students. Such initiatives can balance discrepancies in awareness and protect students as they transition to blended learning environments that rely heavily on digital platforms .

The study addresses the impact of gender by comparing awareness levels between male and female students, finding a significant difference with males showing higher awareness. This could be due to societal norms and gender-based differences in technology interaction, suggesting the need for targeted awareness programs to equalize cyber security understanding across genders .

Challenges in implementing cyber security awareness programs in rural institutions include limited access to digital technologies, inadequate training resources, and potential lack of trained educators. These institutions may also face budget constraints and infrastructure inadequacies, which can hinder the roll-out of effective programs, leading to persistent awareness gaps .

The t-test is effective in this study as it allows for the comparison of means between two groups to determine if observed differences in cyber security awareness are statistically significant. The study effectively uses the t-test to show differences in awareness levels across gender, locality, and education stream, with significant results at the 0.01 level, justifying its use for the given sample size and study aims .

Socio-economic factors play a critical role in shaping cyber security awareness as students from urban areas, likely with better socio-economic backgrounds, show higher awareness levels due to improved access to resources and technology. This contrasts with rural students who may not have similar access, indicating a need to address these disparities to ensure equitable cyber security education .

The digital divide affects cyber security awareness by creating disparities between rural and urban students, where urban students possess higher awareness levels due to greater access to technology and resources. This divide limits rural students' exposure and education regarding effective cyber security practices, leading to a significant difference as shown by the t-test results in the study .

You might also like