Cyber Safety Awareness Research Articles

Cyber Safety Consciousness Among the Students Pursuing Higher Education: A Study of Selected Colleges and Universities in Bengaluru—the Capital City of Karnataka

The innovations in information and communication technology have made it convenient for the government to deliver services to the people in a time-bound manner, besides causing inconvenience to many, including the government, due to their ill-effects. The countries of the world are plagued with cyber threats that are proving to be detrimental to carrying out administration and discouraging the common man from going digital. India is not an exception. This article focuses on the cyber-safety consciousness of students pursuing higher education. It highlights the initiatives introduced by the government and the role of University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) in confronting cyber threats among students. To comprehend the cyber safety awareness among the students, a questionnaire was circulated among the selected colleges and universities in Bengaluru—the capital city of Karnataka. This article suggests measures to make the virtual environment safe and secure for students.

Characteristics and behaviours of young people who meet online contacts face-to-face

ABSTRACT The internet provides opportunities for social interactions which first occur in an online environment that can lead to meeting up in real life. However, growing concerns around safety and privacy warrant greater study of this modern-day phenomenon. Using a longitudinal dataset of approximately 4,300 20-year-olds in Ireland, this study finds one-in-three report meeting someone from online. Multiple regression reveals that females are less likely to engage in such behaviour, while the trait of ‘openness’, spending more time on the internet, being non-heterosexual, using dating apps, and being sexually active at 17 years are positively associated. Early exposure to information and communication technologies, as indicated by mobile phone ownership at 9 years, is also associated with online-to-offline encounters. A range of policy considerations are discussed, including the continued need for education in e-safety and cyber safety awareness from a young age through young adulthood, particularly for groups such as LGBT communities.

Cyber safety and security awareness initiatives in india - a systematic review

Cyberspace-related risks have increased massively due to the absence of awareness and self-resistance among Internet users to safeguard themselves. One of the vital measures to cultivate knowledge and understanding is the holistic intervention of cyber safety and security programs. Creating awareness through cyber safety and security initiatives is such a great way to address the issue in detail. It ultimately strengthens the discourse about online safety. There are a large number of awareness initiatives available worldwide that meet the requirements of the online community. This paper tries to highlight such initiatives in India to promote awareness about cyber safety and security.

Predicting Schoolteachers' Intention and Behaviour of Promoting Cyber-Safety Awareness

School learners are attractive candidates for cyber-safety attacks. Advances in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) devices, and the surge in Internet usage, poses significant risks to users with poor cyber-safety awareness and security practices. An example of such users are school learners. Therefore, school learners should be made aware of cyber-safety or safe Internet usage, through awareness programmes as early as possible. Applying the classical Theory of Planned Behaviour in a survey of 109 schoolteachers across 18 schools in 2 districts, the results of a multiple regression analysis unveil that: 1) attitude does not predict the schoolteachers’ intention to raise cyber-safety awareness at their schools in the next 12 months, nor does it predict the schoolteachers’ behaviour of raising cyber-safety awareness in their teaching; and 2) subjective norms and perceived behavioural control predict the schoolteachers’ intention and behaviour. In light of this, the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) is encouraged to identify influential schoolteachers (i.e. phase heads, sports and cultural coordinators, principals and their deputies, etc.), and to groom them into cyber-safety awareness advocates, for the purposes of influencing other teachers or their peers. Also, the DBE should provide teachers with the requisite resources, opportunities, and support which facilitates cyber-safety awareness in schools, to empower teachers to adopt this highly desired behaviour.

Stalking and Other Forms of Dating Violence: Lessons Learned from You in Relation to Cyber Safety.

Often, individuals share private information on social media, being unaware of online dangers. You, a popular psychological thriller series on Netflix, raises issues of stalking behaviors through social media as part of a pattern of dating violence. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, this study examined how social media is used for erotic stalking, dating violence, and cyber safety awareness (or lack thereof) in You. The researchers analyzed all 10 episodes of the first season of You independently, taking notes. A combined in-depth analysis included discussions of messages and meanings resulting in three overarching themes: obsessive online and in-person erotic stalking, controlling behaviors in the context of the dating relationship, and an apparent indifference about cyber safety with oversharing of personal information on social media, which was exploited by the lead protagonist. You raises important concerns including inappropriate dating behaviors such as stalking, coercive control, violence, and questionable masculine attitudes, which are interwoven with an apparent lack of knowledge and understanding in relation to cyber safety. We concluded that raising awareness of the importance of online safety and security in the context of a dating relationship is imperative and that You can be used as an educational tool.

Improving Cybersafety Maturity of South African Schools

This research investigated the current maturity levels of cybersafety in South African schools. The maturity level indicates if schools are prepared to assist relevant role players (teachers and learners) in establishing a cybersafety culture within the school environment. The research study measured the maturity levels of cybersafety in 24 South African schools by evaluating the four main elements that are needed to improve cybersafety within schools. These elements are (1) leadership and policies, (2) infrastructure, (3) education, and (4) standards and inspection. The study used a UK-approved measurement tool (360safe) to measure the cybersafety maturity of schools within South Africa, using five levels of compliance (Level 1: full compliance, to Level 5: no compliance). The data analysis clearly indicated that all the schools that participated in the study had a significantly low level of cybersafety maturity and compliance. Schools are starting to adopt technology as part of their educational and social approach to prepare learners for the future, but there is a clear lack of supporting cybersafety awareness, policies, practices and procedures within South African schools. The research proposed a step-by-step approach involving a ten-phase cybersafety plan to empower schools to create and grow their own cybersafety culture.

A Study on Cyber Safety Awareness among Malaysian Primary Students A Case Study: QR Code Game in SK Bangi

A Study on Cyber Safety Awareness among Malaysian Primary Students A Case Study: QR Code Game in SK Bangi

Growing a cyber-safety culture amongst school learners in South Africa through gaming

Virtually all school learners today have access to ICT devices and the internet at home or at school. More and more schools are using ICT devices to improve education in South Africa. ICT devices and internet access have enormous advantages and assist learners in learning and teachers in teaching more successfully. However, with these advantages come numerous ICT and cyber-risks and threats that can harm learners, for example cyber-bullying, identity theft and access to inappropriate material. Currently, South Africa does not have a long-term plan to grow a cyber-safety culture in its schools. This research therefore proposes a short-term initiative in the form of a game-based approach, which will assist school learners in becoming more cyber safe and teach learners about the relevant cyber-related risks and threats. The research is based on a quantitative survey that was conducted among primary school learners to establish if the game-based approach would be a feasible short-term initiative. The aim of the research is to establish if a game based approach can be used to improve cyber-safety awareness. This approach was plotted into the required ICT and cyber-safety policy required by all schools.

Cultivating a cyber-safety culture among school learners in South Africa

ABSTRACTTechnology is playing an increasingly significant role in people’s lives. They use it for work, education, business and social activities; however, their use of different kinds of information communication technologies (ICTs) puts their personal information at risk. It is essential for everyone using ICTs to be aware of the potential information safety risks and how to identify and prevent them. The latter is a growing problem among ICT users in South Africa – especially school learners – because many of them do not have the necessary knowledge and background to use ICTs properly and safely. The dangers associated with the lack of a cyber-safety culture when using ICTs at school level render it vital for school learners and all relevant role-players to be thoroughly alerted to and educated about cyber safety. This article proposes a cyber-culture approach (CCA) that can guide and mobilise the different role-players (e.g. government, teachers and parents) to address the cyber-safety situation urgently. The CCA proposes a time-based approach that can be implemented to cultivate a growing and sustainable cyber-safety culture among school learners in particular. The CCA, as proposed in the research, can be used to ensure that a culture of cyber-safety awareness is created in South Africa – one that is aimed not only at protecting all role-players, but also at providing critical information about possible ICT risks, threats and attacks.

Short-term initiatives for enhancing cyber-safety within South African schools

The rate of technological development across the globe is dramatic. The decreasing cost and increasing availability of ICT devices means that its users are no longer exclusively industry or government employees – they are now also home users. Home users integrate ICT in their daily lives for education, socialising and information gathering. However, using ICT is associated with risks and threats, such as identity theft and phishing scams. Most home users of ICT do not have the necessary information technology and Internet skills to protect themselves and their information. School learners, in particular, are not sufficiently educated on how to use technological devices safely, especially in developing countries such as South Africa. The national school curriculum in South Africa currently does not make provision for cyber-safety education, and the availability of supporting material and training for ICT teachers in South Africa is limited, resulting in a lack of knowledge and skills regarding cyber-safety. The research in hand focuses on the situation concerning cyber-safety awareness in schools and has adopted a short-term approach towards cyber-safety among teachers and school learners in South Africa until a formal long-term national approach has been implemented. This study takes a quantitative approach to investigating the current options of teachers to enhance cyber-safety among learners in their schools. The research proposes that short-term initiatives (i.e. posters) can increase learners’ awareness of cyber-safety until formal cyber-safety awareness methods have been introduced.

Developing a measure to understand young children’s Internet cognition and cyber-safety awareness: a pilot test

Advancements in technology have increased preschool children’s access to the Internet. Very little research has been conducted to identify pre-school-aged children’s understandings of the Internet and ramifications of being ‘online’. Without an understanding of children’s thinking about the Internet, it is difficult to provide age- and pedagogically appropriate cyber-safety education. This study developed and pilot-tested an interview schedule that focuses on the Internet thinking and cyber-safety awareness of Australian children aged 4–5 years. The schedule is informed by sociocultural theory, cyber-safety education research and approaches for researching with young children. The schedule shows potential to elicit children’s understandings of the Internet and cyber-safety awareness. Adjustments are required to allow more contextualised responses from children.