Cybercrime Awareness Research Articles

Risky online behaviors and cybercrime awareness among undergraduate students at Al Quds University: a cross sectional study

The rate of cybercrime among Palestinian university students is unknown. This study is the first to examine cybercrime awareness among Palestinian undergraduate students. A cross-sectional design was used to investigate cybercrime awareness, risky online behaviors, and the prevalence of cybercrime among these students. Participants were selected using convenience sampling. Invitations were sent via Google Forms to complete an online questionnaire. The findings revealed that a sizable proportion of participants (52.4%) had either been victims of cybercrime or knew someone who had. High-risk online behaviors included using social media for social interaction, using mobile apps, engaging in excessive social media use, and failing to report criminal activity to law enforcement authorities. The study found a lack of awareness about cybercrime, particularly regarding knowledge, perceived causes, cybersecurity measures, and emotional responses. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified significant relationships between cybercrime exposure and factors such as students' knowledge of cyberstalking and cybercrime harassment, perceptions of being threatened by cybercrime, the need for university cybercrime awareness programs, and experiences with sextortion, social media harassment, and cyberstalking. Accepting friend requests only from known individuals could reduce their vulnerability to cybercrime. Fear and indifference decreased the likelihood of being exposed to cybercrime, while anger increased the risk. Thus, incorporating cybercrime awareness program, which includes information security awareness, education, and training, into universities' overall security management strategies is critical. This will effectively reduce the risks associated with cyberattacks for students.

Lessons learned from Dread darknet communities: How and why are fraudsters targeting the elderly to be victims or accomplices?

AbstractResearch SummaryWe examined darknet user discussions on the Dread forum to identify key themes and emerging topics in fraud planning, focusing additionally on elderly victimization. Using the conceptual framework of criminogenic learning to study the process of fraud planning in darknet communities of practice, we analyzed the content of original user posts (n = 818) and comments (n = 1365) collected from the Dread forum. We identified nine unique fraud categories, of which payments‐related fraud was the most‐discussed fraud category and accounted for 25% of original user posts. We further found our sampled forum content to be dominated by the theme of learning or knowledge sharing in eight of the nine fraud categories, which appeared in more than 44% of original user posts. Our content analysis revealed specific insights into why and how darknet forum users may target people, including the elderly subpopulation, for different types of fraud. Overall, our research demonstrates the diversity of opinion and knowledge sharing among darknet forum users in relation to planning and committing fraud against the elderly, views on who is a suitable target and why, and what veteran and aspiring fraudsters consider to be important information for success in fraud.Policy ImplicationsUtilized independently or as part of a multistage strategy of darknet data analysis, our research method can be used to monitor criminally active darknet forums for current and emerging themes in fraud against general populations and vulnerable subpopulations, such as the elderly, and to develop strategies to identify, disrupt, or destroy hubs of criminal planning and knowledge sharing. Our study additionally informs policy makers of certain elder‐specific vulnerabilities that might be addressed by more up‐to‐date elder cybercrime awareness campaigns and initiatives. Our findings also highlight the presence of insider threats that may inform discussions on how health and financial institutions can better regulate these cybersecurity risks.

Quantitative Assessment of the Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Awareness among Postgraduate Commerce Students in the Coimbatore District, India

Aim: Key motive is to research the prevailing level of awareness level of commerce post graduate students on cyber crime and cyber security in their day-to-day life. Design/ Methodology/Approach: In the current research paper, data has been collected based on census method using high ended questionnaire from 178 M. Com students from University in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nādu in India. The accumulated information is further analyzed in testing their level of awareness using descriptive statistics and Anova to check the difference with respect to their demographics. The Researchers want to know how college students feel about being aware of cybercrime and cyber security so they are looking into that. Findings: The study has identified the factors for the level of awareness on cybercrime with 5 variables and cybersecurity with 6 variables. These variables have different perspective with respect to the demographic factors of the commerce post graduate students. Especially the Course of study and the year of study creates difference in the awareness level. Research Limitations: The study is a valuable understanding for the students in commerce stream at their post graduate level in knowing their level of understanding and awareness of cybercrimes and cyber security. This study has only focused on the commerce post graduate students of university and it is restricted to the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nādu alone. The results cannot be generalized commonly for the students in post-graduation. Originality: The study is original contribution to understand the awareness of commerce post graduate students in Tamil Nadu. It can be definitely used for further references in terms of level of awareness of students from different range or the study can be further expanded by the researchers and policy makers in developing the safety and awareness measures towards cybercrime and cybersecurity.

A Study on Cyber-Crime Awareness Among Students in Chhattisgarh

The current study's objective is to ascertain students' awareness of cybercrime in the Chhattisgarh region. In the world we live in, technology is now required in every aspect of life from house hold work to running a multinational company and national security. Although technology makes life easier, there are risks associated with it, such as cybercrime (fraud, assault, bullying, sexual harassment, phishing). Students must understand that cyber security awareness is necessary to prevent any kind of cyber-crime. For understanding the cyber-awareness among Students of Chhattisgarh we collected data from Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University in Raipur. The cyber-crime awareness scale created by Dr. S. Rajasekar (2011) was used to test students' awareness of cybercrime using a questionnaire-based survey method. In this study, student demographic information (gender, location) is taken into account when measuring understanding of cyber-threats. . The hypothesis is tested using the t-test. The results show that although male and female students' knowledge of cybercrime is not statistically different, there is a significant difference between students in rural and urban locations.

Enhancing awareness of cyber crime: a crucial element in confronting the challenges of hybrid warfare In Indonesia

The Cyber Defense Center, abbreviated as Pushansiber, is an institution responsible for carrying out the duties and functions of the Defense Strategic Installation Agency. Pushansiber has an important role in implementing governance, cooperation, operations, and ensuring cyber defense security. However, this year there has been an increase in problems related to cyber attacks, such as phishing, malware, ransomware, spam. These cyber attacks are included in the concept of hybrid warfare which is believed to be a form of conflict that involves the utilization of various elements, one of which is cyber attacks, military, political, economic, and information aspects. This causes conflict situations to be complicated and demands a comprehensive approach in terms of defense and handling, with digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness which has an important role in defense management, the need for awareness and training, simulation, and certification to strengthen cybercrime awareness in every organization. The success of other countries that have established specialized cybersecurity teams and invested in advanced technology can serve as an example for Indonesia. For Indonesia, the cooperation between National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) and the Ministry of Defense in strengthening cybersecurity capabilities is an important step to safeguard infrastructure, protect sensitive data, and reduce potential disruptions from malicious cyber activities with the aim of strengthening cybersecurity capabilities.

A Study on Cyber Crime Awareness among B. Ed Teacher Trainees

Abstract: Technology plays an increasingly significant role in improving access to education for people living in impoverished areas and developing countries. Computers and the internet have offered great benefits to society. More than one third of the world’s total population, had access to the internet. Internet, though offers great benefit to society, however it can also present opportunities for crime using new and highly sophisticated technology tools. Cyber crime is nothing but an emerging and fast growing discipline of crime.

Awareness of cybercrime among online banking users in Nigeria

This study aimed to investigate the awareness of cybercrime among online banking users in Nigeria and provide quantitative data on various aspects related to cybersecurity awareness. A comprehensive survey was conducted among 283 online banking users in Nigeria to gather data. The data were analyzed to identify trends and patterns in cybersecurity awareness among Nigerian online banking users. The study revealed that 82.0% of the respondents were aware of cybercrime, indicating a high level of awareness among Nigerian online banking users. Social media (37.5%) and friends (16.0%) were identified as the primary sources of knowledge about cybercrime. The majority of respondents employed multi-factor authentication methods, such as login + password + biometric, to secure their online banking accounts. However, there was room for improvement in password preferences, as some respondents still used simple passwords. The most used features of online banking were transferring money between accounts (42.4%), checking account balances (26.5%), and paying bills (11.0%). This study contributes new insights to the existing body of knowledge by providing a comprehensive analysis of cybersecurity awareness among Nigerian online banking users. It emphasizes the evolving landscape of cybercrime awareness, the influence of digital platforms in disseminating information, and the importance of targeted awareness campaigns and improved security measures.

The effect of online ad campaigns on DDoS‐attacks: A cross‐national difference‐in‐differences quasi‐experiment

AbstractResearch SummaryEuropean law enforcement agencies have begun to use targeted online ad campaigns to raise cybercrime awareness among at‐risk populations. Despite their rapid proliferation, there is little research to support their efficacy and effectiveness. This study uses a quasi‐experimental difference‐in‐differences design to evaluate the effect of seven campaigns deployed in 2021 and 2022 on the volume of (distributed) denial‐of‐service or (D)DoS‐attacks recorded in six European countries: Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Portugal. The results show mixed effects, suggesting that the campaigns are not clearly effective in reducing DDoS‐attacks in the short term.Policy ImplicationsLaw enforcement has partly justified the use of targeted online ad campaigns on the premise that they reduce DDoS‐attacks. However, this study shows that the evidence in this regard is inconclusive. If public support for the use of such campaigns is to be secured in the long term, law enforcement will likely need to rely on stronger arguments. The effect of this type of campaigns needs to be further investigated.

Assessing contributor features to phishing susceptibility amongst students of petroleum resources varsity in Nigeria

In this observational quasi-experimental study, we recruited 200 participants during the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun’s (FUPRE) orientation, who were exposed to socially engineered (phishing) attacks over nine months. Attacks sought to extract participants’ data and/or entice them to click (compromised) links. The study aims to determine phishing exposure and risks among undergraduates in FUPRE (Nigeria) by observing their responses to socially-engineered attacks and exploring their attitudes to cybercrime risks before and after phishing attacks. The study primed all students in place of cybercrime awareness to remain vigilant to scams and explored the various scam types with their influence on gender, age, status, and their perceived safety on susceptibility to scams. Results show that contrary to public beliefs, these factors have all been found to be associated with scam susceptibility and vulnerability of the participants.

Cybercrime Awareness on Social Media: A Comparison Study

The popularity of social media has not waned since it gained popularity in the early 2000s. Social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Snapchat boast billions of active users worldwide. Social media remains an invaluable tool to both organizations and individuals because of the ease of sharing information and media and the ability to both reach and engage specific audiences of interest. Due to its massive user base, communication ease, and data sharing, social media presents fertile ground for the conduct of cybercrime. Cybercriminals actively target social media users, use social media to facilitate their cybercrime activities, and advertise their criminal activities on social media. The potential dangers of cybercrime on social media necessitate that organizations institute cybercrime on social media policies to guard against these threats and provide employees with cybercrime awareness on social media (CASM) training. CASM is important as corporate and personal use of social media becomes increasingly blurred. This study attempted to measure the CASM scores of employees in security-critical sectors and determine if hearing disability had any impact on the CASM scores. Employees of the education, finance, government, information technology, legal, medicine, military, and Policing sectors in the United States were surveyed. Results showed that the CASM score was average across all sectors. No statistically significant difference in CASM score was found between groups with and without hearing difficulties, although CASM scores were slightly lower for employees with hearing difficulties. The results suggested that more CASM training is needed for employees in the surveyed sectors.

The Electronic and Transactions Law (EIT Law) as the First Cybercrime Law in Indonesia: An Introduction and Its Implementation

<p>The cybercrime cases across the country are remaining high. It caused the government decided to create the cybercrime law, including the Indonesian government. The first cybercrime law that created by Indonesian government is the Electronic and Transactions Law (EIT Law) of 2008, and revised in 2016. This paper then provides more comprehensive explanation regarding EIT Law, starting from its creation, substances, enforcement, and even its strengths and weaknesses. By using literature review method, the authors have been conducted research from the previous studies on related topic. Before entering the main discussions, this paper also explains the cybercrime law and policy in Indonesia’s neighboring countries. After that, EIT Law is explained comprehensively. The result shows that background of the creation of EIT Law is the technology and the Internet development that can threaten the Indonesia’s national interests. This law then categorize the types of cybercrime that prohibited in Indonesia. The jurisdiction, the investigation process, and the punishment to cyber criminals also regulated in that law. Furthermore, this paper also explains the strengths and weaknesses of EIT Law. The strengths of EIT Law can be seen in the complexity of the articles that contain within it. Nevertheless, the implementation of this law is still not effective. This is because there are several issues that have to corrected, such as the ambiguity of article contents, lack of cybercrime awareness among the law enforcement officers, difficulties to provide electronic devices, and lack of cyber facilities or infrastructure.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><strong>Keywords: </strong>Cybercrime, Cyberspace, EIT Law, National interest, Technology and internet development</p>

Study of Cyber Crime Awareness among Female B.Ed. Trainees

The purpose of this paper is to explore the cybercrime awareness among female B.Ed trainees with respect to their type of and locality find the cybercrime awareness among female B.Ed. trainees. The increased dependence on internet has led to the rise of cybercrime. Cybercrime is a new wave of crimes using internet facilities. Problems such as lack of proper training and education, the poor awareness of cybercrime among female have also contributed to the growth in cybercrime. In the present study researcher adopted descriptive survey method to collect the data for the cybercrime awareness among adolescents. The sample comprised 200 college going female B.Ed. trainees was selected from government and private colleges. The female B.Ed. trainee belongs to rural and urban areas were taken from Sangrur and patiala district of Punjab. Samples selected using “Cybercrime awareness scale” constructed and validated by Rajasekar S. (2011). Attempts have been made to assess the impact of females and residential area upon cybercrime awareness level of female B.Ed trainee. The finding of the study shows the result of the study showed that the female B.Ed. trainees of government colleges are more aware of cybercrimes as compared to female B.Ed. trainees of private colleges. Moreover the finding of the study showed that the female B.Ed. trainees of urban areas are more aware of cybercrimes as compared to female B.Ed. trainees of rural areas.

Cybercrime Awareness Among Senior High School Students

Over the past few years, Cybercrime has been increasing rapidly which gives a huge impact on the lives of the people especially the growing youth in the community. This study was conducted to determine the level of Cybercrime awareness among Senior High School students at Misamis University. This study uses quantitative research as its descriptive design. It has 253 respondents which are Senior High School students of Misamis University. Random sampling was used to identify the respondents from Grades 11 and 12 from the five (5) different strands namely: General Academic Strand (GAS), Pre-Baccalaureate Maritime, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) and Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMMS). The adopted questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data regarding the students’ awareness of Cybercrime. The findings of the study revealed that the level of Cybercrime awareness among the respondents was Very Aware, particularly in Cyberbullying, Cyberpornography, and Identity Theft. Therefore, the respondents are aware enough to avoid becoming a victim or from doing such acts of Cybercrime at all costs. On the other hand, circumstances may appear unexpectedly which is why we must be vigilant at all times to give guidance, safety, and security whenever they need it hence they have a good understanding of some types of cybercrime, such as cyberbullying, hacking, and phishing, but they have a limited understanding of other types, such as identity theft and online scams. Overall, this study provides insights into the level of awareness of cybercrime among senior high school students. The findings suggest that there is a need for increased or maintained education, information drive, and awareness-raising activities to help students develop a better understanding of the various forms of cybercrime and the risks associated with them. By enhancing the awareness of cybercrime among senior high school students, we can help them to use the internet more safely and responsibly, and protect them from falling victim to cybercrime. By implementing these recommendations, educators and policymakers can help senior high school students develop a better understanding of the risks associated with the use of technology, and equip them with the knowledge and skills to stay safe online.

A Survey of Cyber Crime Awareness Among Netizens of Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of Zetech University

Protecting the integrity and confidentiality of information in sophisticated network systems is becoming increasingly vital and difficult. The computer may have been used in order to commit the crime and in other cases the computer may have been the target of the crime. The purpose of this research was to determine the level of awareness of cyber-attacks among students and staff of higher education institutions and to propose mechanisms to overcome cybercrimes attacks. A mixed technique approach was utilized in the study. The study was conducted at Zetech University with a purposively randomly selected population of 260 staff and students, and a sample of 150 was obtained. The descriptive statistics was used in the quantitative design to show the distribution of scores using a few indices. According to the findings, 63.4 percent of the participants had no cyber security awareness training, whereas 36.6 percent had. It is impossible to exaggerate the value of workplace cyber security awareness. The majority of participants (91.1%) were aware of the many sorts of cybercrimes, whereas 8% were unsure. 58.9% of respondents strongly concurred that they had never trusted websites that asked for their bank card information. Focusing on cyber security awareness reduces cybercrimes by more than 50%, according to 65.2 percent of participants. 72.3 percent firmly agreed that using encryption techniques to safeguard sensitive information was a good idea. The study's findings demonstrate that a rise in cybercrime is causing physical harm to individuals, with the majority of respondents saying that hackers had stolen their data and harmed them. Based on our research, we advise higher education institutions to invest in cutting-edge research facilities, place more emphasis on internal and external cyber security research and development, and emphasize that top management allocates sufficient financial resources to IT infrastructure and cyber security awareness trainings. Higher education institutions should regularly host conferences and training sessions for all staff and students on cyber security. The team in charge of overseeing the networks and IT infrastructure must make sure that email filtering and intrusion detection systems have been put in place to detect harmful assaults on university networks and systems.

Emerging Trends in Cybercrime Awareness in Nigeria

Emerging Trends in Cybercrime Awareness in Nigeria

Development of the cybercrime awareness scale (CAS): a validity and reliability study in a Turkish sample

PurposeCybercrimes increase day by day in parallel to cyber-attacks and cyber-threats. Due to such an increase, required cybersecurity precautions against all kinds of cyber-attacks and cyber-threats should be taken by both organizations and individuals. This study aims to develop a reliable and valid measurement tool to measure cybercrime awareness levels of individuals.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, a scale named as Cybercrime Awareness Scale (CAS) has been developed and psychometric properties of the scale have been tested by two separate studies.FindingsThe first study included a total of 500 respondents (294 female and 206 male). In the first study, factor structure of the proposed scale has been determined through an exploratory factor analysis. The results revealed a three-factor structure (i.e. information systems crimes, personal data crimes, and privacy and security). Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients for the subdimensions were 0.95, 0.92, and 0.90, respectively. The sample of the second study consisted of 494 respondents (281 female and 213 male). The confirmatory-factor-analysis results revealed that three-factor structure is valid and optimal model. Further, the proposed scale demonstrated moderate concurrent validity results in relation to the Digital Data Security Awareness Scale.Originality/valueFindings indicated that the CAS is a valid and reliable measurement tool to measure individuals' cybercrime awareness level. This study makes a novel contribution to the existing cybersecurity literature by providing the CAS, which is developed by following rigorous methodological standards.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-01-2022-0023/

Development of a Scale to Measure Cybercrime-Awareness on Social Media

ABSTRACT This study developed a psychometric scale to measure users’ cybercrime awareness level on social media. Psychometric properties of the Cybercrime Awareness on Social Media Scale (CASM-S) were tested based on data collected from 1045 social media users. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with principal components analysis was used to identify the underlying factor structure of the scale (N = 545). The results revealed that the scale has a unidimensional factor structure. The scale was found to have a high internal reliability (α = .957). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to verify factor structure of the CASM-S (N = 500). Results revealed that the one-factor model fits the data well (x 2/DF = 2.757, CFI = .939, SRMR = .0366, RMSEA = .059). Further, the study evaluated the concurrent validity of the scale (r = .855, p < .001). The findings revealed that the CASM-S is a reliable and valid tool to measure users’ cybercrime awareness level on social media.

Variations in adolescent cybercrime awareness concerning geographical location and parental relationships

This paper investigates the adolescents’ importance of parental relationships in preventing them from cybercrime victimization. In addition, the role of locality in the level of internet addiction is studied. A sample comprised of 360 students of age group 15-17 years, pursuing their studies in 13 CBSE schools of New Delhi was selected randomly. These selected students were in classes XI and XII. The internet addiction and the satisfaction level of parental relationships were analyzed to understand the adolescents’ online behaviors. The mean, SD, and standard error measures of several factors were analyzed. Findings reveal that there exists a significant difference in internet addiction between urban and rural adolescents. The findings also confirmed that 84.75 % of cyber-victimized adolescents have a dissatisfied parental relationship.

A Systematic Literature Review of Routine Activity Theory’s Applicability in Cybercrimes

Cybercrimes are increasing at an alarming rate and cause detrimental effects to the victims. Routine Activity Theory (RAT) is commonly used to understand the factors influencing cybercrime victimization. However, there have been inconsistent findings on the applicability of RAT theory. This study performs a Systematic Literature Review analysis to consolidate and provide a coherent analysis of the related studies employing RAT theory for cybercrime victimization. The articles were also differentiated based on the cybercrimes topologies being investigated; (a) cybercrime dependent (hacking and malware) and (b) cybercrime enabled (phishing, fraud and identity theft). The findings suggest that a refined specification and operationalization of RAT’S construct tailoring to the types of cybercrimes can arguably yield more accurate application and interpretation of RAT Theory in cybercrimes. Consequently, this will address the inaccurate measurement issues of some of the RATS’s constructs, leading to inconclusive effects on cybercrime victimization. In addition, there is a need for more longitudinal studies to disentangle the effect of RAT’s construct during pre and post cybercrimes. Security advocates can apply the findings of this research to formulate relevant cybercrime awareness programs. The findings also shed some insights into which groups should be targeted for different cybercrime educational and awareness programs. This study can increase the awareness among citizens in terms of their online activities, their attributes and the types of protection from becoming cybercrime victims.

Factors Associated with Cybercrime Awareness Among University Students in Egerton University, Njoro Campus, Nakuru County, Kenya

Currently, the level of reliance of ICT among university students across the globe is unpresented. Students are heavy internet users because they perform the majority of their daily communications and school related activities on the internet. As a result the students are highly exposed to cybercrime victimization. Therefore, it’s important to determine issues surrounding their level of awareness of cybercrime. This study sought to examine the factors associated with students’ level of awareness of cybercrime at Egerton University, Njoro Campus, Nakuru County, Kenya. In order to achieve this, three specific research objectives were addressed; to determine the association between gender and cybercrime awareness among university students, to examine the association between age and cybercrime awareness among university students and to find out the relationship between the level of study and cybercrime awareness among university students. The study was based on the theory of technology enabled crime, policing and security. The study adopted cross sectional design and stratified random sampling technique to select respondents from the study population. The unit of analysis for this study was students at Egerton University. Questionnaire was used as a primary data collection instrument and was administered on the web. The collected data was analyzed using inferential and deceptive statistics. The study found no association between gender and the level of cybercrime awareness but it found a significant association between age of students and the level of cybercrime awareness. In addition, there was a significant association between students’ level of study and cybercrime awareness. The study has provided information necessary for the design and implementation of cybercrime awareness activities, thus helping in the implementation of Kenya’s National Cybersecurity strategy.