Traditional access control mechanisms such as passwords, personal identification numbers (PIN), and plastic access cards (PAC) can be shared with or stolen by unauthorized user. Biometric authentication offers a more secured and efficient alternative by utilizing unique physiological or behavioural characteristics. This study examined the use of biometric technology for information access control among undergraduates at Northwest University, Kano. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, using all 16,541 undergraduates of Northwest University, Kano as population. Krejcie and Morgan sampling table was used in determining the sample size of 375. Stratified random sampling technique was adopted for data collection. Structured questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistical tools such as mean, standard deviation and simple percentages. The findings revealed that there is moderate level of awareness of biometric technologies among the student (M=3.26). The study further reported that fingerprint and facial recognition are the most widely used biometrics among students, particularly for securing banking information, smartphones, and personal computers. The study uncovered that the use of biometric technology enhances security and reduces identity fraud, however, challenges such as high implementation costs, privacy concerns, and system reliability issues hinder its widespread adoption. The study concluded that the use of biometric technologies is best for information access control. Thus, the study recommended more awareness campaigns, improving biometric infrastructure, ensuring strong data protection policies, and adoption of multimodal biometric systems to enhance security and usability for information access control. The paper concluded that biometric authentication provides a reliable information access control however; there is need for robust data policy protection to address the issue of privacy implications associated with the technology. The paper then recommended that biometric awareness should be enhanced through integrating biometric security education into relevant academic course in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

The objective of this review article was to analyze how digital content has been used over the last five years to strengthen food security in rural communities. It was developed using a qualitative interpretive approach, with a phenomenological design and descriptive scope, based on a review of literature indexed in databases. The methodology consisted of identifying, systematizing, and categorizing studies published in Scopus, Elsevier, Google Scholar, and multilateral organizations, grouping the information into thematic areas related to digital skills, good agricultural practices, hygiene and handling, sustainable use of inputs, food preservation, food security education, and barriers to technology adoption. The results showed that digital tools, such as mobile applications, interactive platforms, local videos, and digitized participatory methodologies, promoted the acquisition of technical and cultural knowledge in rural communities. Likewise, limitations associated with infrastructure gaps, digital literacy, and unequal access to technological resources were identified. The main contribution of the study was to highlight the relevance of digital content as a means of promoting food security with a territorial approach. It was concluded that educational digitization is a viable strategy for capacity building in the agri-food sector.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Digital Information Security Attitude Scale (DISAS) to systematically assess individuals’ attitudes toward information security in digital environments. Data were collected from 000 adult participants who engaged in a metaverse-based content program. Based on literature review and expert content validation, an initial set of 20 items was generated. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified a five-factor structure—Perceived Importance, Compliancerelated Affect, Behavioral Intention, Outcome Expectancy, and Self-Regulation—all of which met the predefined factor loading criteria. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated adequate model fit, supporting the validity of the measurement structure. Construct validity, including convergent and discriminant validity, as well as reliability (Cronbach’s α and composite reliability), were found to be satisfactory across all subscales. The DISAS provides a multidimensional and empirically validated tool for assessing information security attitudes within digital and metaverse environments. This scale is expected to serve as a valuable instrument for digital security education, evaluation of metaverse-based security programs, and future research on information security behaviors.

This study investigates the implications of social engineering attacks on mobile device security in the UAE, situating these threats within broader socioeconomic challenges. It employs a mixed methodology to understand both quantitative patterns and qualitative experiences of mobile device users across the seven emirates. The study combines large-scale survey data from 1,247 respondents with 45 in-depth qualitative interviews conducted between November 2024 and February 2025 to examine mobile-based social engineering vulnerabilities in the UAE. It examines demographic factors, cultural influences, technology adoption patterns, and vulnerability to various social engineering attack vectors, including SMS phishing, voice phishing, and mobile application-based deception. The results indicate that social engineering attacks are widespread among UAE mobile users. Age, educational background, and cultural factors, such as trust in authority and collectivist communication trends, influence vulnerability. Qualitative analysis outlines technological empowerment, cultural trust patterns, language barriers in security messaging, and the generational digital divide, as well as inadequate security awareness programs, as critical themes. The results also prove that social engineering attacks targeting mobile devices in the UAE exploit both universal human psychology and culture-specific trust patterns, thus deepening existing socioeconomic challenges related to digital inequality and cyber risk exposure. The study further reemphasizes the need for policymakers to develop culturally adapted security education programs that address the intersection of mobile security vulnerabilities and socioeconomic challenges to build a more resilient digital environment.

National security serves as the bedrock for enduring national stability and the steady development of society. Strengthening national security education is a fundamental strategy for consolidating national security. Throughout the course of historical development, national security has evolved alongside the formation of the state. As policy documents have become increasingly standardized, national security education has risen to become a matter of national will. Conducting national security education is a precise measure to address the century-long transformation of the world, a strong bastion for implementing the task of fostering virtue and cultivating talent, and a practical necessity for adapting to the strategic layout of national security. Through research and interviews with universities, teachers, and students in different provinces on the implementation of national security education, it was found that there are still issues that need to be addressed, such as the need to refine the system and institutional development, the need to improve and optimize curriculum development, and the urgent need to enhance the capabilities and competencies for safeguarding national security. As the primary battleground for talent cultivation and practical education, universities should focus on national security education for college students. Guided by the holistic national outlook, they should construct a scientific and rational curriculum system, innovate teaching formats and practical platforms, and foster internalized awareness and externalized actions through physical practice. This will enhance students' consciousness and capabilities in safeguarding national security, thereby providing intellectual support and talent assurance for national stability and social development.

This study empirically examined elementary school teachers’ perceptions of generative AI-based edutech, their behavioral intention to use it, and the factors influencing this intention. Data were collected from 153 elementary school teachers participating in edutech demonstration projects using a questionnaire that measured behavioral intention, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, and trust and security on a five-point Likert scale. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, simple regression analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that teachers’ overall perceptions of generative AI-based edutech were positive, and their behavioral intention to use it was significantly predicted by perceived usefulness and social influence. No significant differences in behavioral intention were found based on gender, age, or teaching experience. However, teachers involved in edutech demonstration projects and those who rated their AI skills as high showed greater behavioral intention compared to others. Therefore, the practical educational usefulness of generative AI-based edutech and the supportive culture of the school organization are key factors in teachers’ technology acceptance. Accordingly, the study suggests the need for support strategies such as expanding practice-oriented professional development focusing on concrete classroom use cases, increasing opportunities for participation in edutech demonstration projects, providing stepwise support programs tailored to teachers’ AI competence, and strengthening ethics and security education for responsible use of generative AI-based edutech.

Amidst the increasing digital threats, understanding the basic principles of cryptography is crucial for data security education. While the Playfair Cipher remains a valuable classical algorithm, its manual use is prone to human error and is not compatible with modern computing systems. This research aims to address these issues by upgrading the Playfair Cipher through a software engineering approach, creating a web application that runs using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Unlike previous research that focused on descriptive analysis, this research emphasizes the application of new technologies by designing a structured client-side architecture, resulting in seamless processing and server-side execution. The application features a responsive user interface (UI) designed for easy user interaction and immediate visual feedback while constructing key matrices and solving bigrams. The results show that the application achieves 100% accuracy in validating manual logic, especially when verifying the ciphertext "CVSMOBLIMAPUOYHDBY," and offers highly efficient computational performance. This research provides a powerful and interactive software tool that upgrades classical methods and offers an extensible solution for algorithm validation and data security education.

Research Problem: Despite the efforts by management of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin to strengthen gate control systems and expand the security workforce, the institution still grapples with issues such as theft in student hostels and cult-related intimidation. Methods/Theory: The study was guided by Hirschi’s (1969) Social Control Theory. The study employed content analysis. The population for this study was 17,115 while was 391 derived by Taro Yamane (1967) formula to determine sample size. Out of the 391 copies of questionnaire administered, 349 were retrieved and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results: Findings indicated that security officers play a vital role in deterring and detecting criminal activities through regular patrols, surveillance, and visible presence. Respondents acknowledged the officers’ efficiency in managing entry points, responding swiftly to incidents, and fostering cooperation with external agencies. Furthermore, security education programs were found to enhance awareness and community participation in safety initiatives. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that security officers are a vital component of crime prevention and safety management at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin. The majority of students and staff expressed strong confidence in the officers’ ability to deter, detect, and respond to crime. Regular patrols, effective access control, and prompt emergency response were identified as key operational strengths contributing to a sense of safety and trust across the campus. Key Contribution to Knowledge: The study investigated the impact of security personnel on crime prevention and safety management at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin. It examined the roles of security personnel in crime prevention within polytechnic campuses as well as the effectiveness of security personnel in curbing crime and maintaining safety in Kwara State Polytechnic. Recommendation: The study recommended that trained, visible, and well-equipped security personnel significantly improve campus safety and create a conducive learning environment. It recommends that the Polytechnic Management and Security Unit, in collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force, should intensify patrols, install more CCTV systems, enhance inter-agency collaboration, and organize regular capacity-building programs for security personnel to strengthen campus crime prevention and safety management.

The partners in this Community Partnership Program are elementary schools consisting of students, teachers, staff, and parents at GMIM 30 Elementary School in Sario Tumpaan Subdistrict, Sario District. The partner, GMIM 30 Sario Tumpaan Elementary School, as the target audience of the PKM program, represents a group of young community members who are the intended beneficiaries. Understanding the concepts and implementation of food security and food availability requires educational efforts from an early age, including through the application of the “love to plant” concept for elementary school students — the next generation who will face various challenges related to environmental sustainability and food security. By introducing them to planting activities early on, they will better understand how food is produced, the importance of protecting the environment, and develop an awareness to live healthily and independently. The problem is that implementing education to raise early awareness of planting among school children and practicing vegetable gardening at school faces several challenges, namely the absence of human resources at the school who can serve as educational facilitators and provide technical assistance in creating the garden. Additionally, students and teachers need to be motivated to participate in these activities so that the program can be carried out in accordance with its goals of promoting food security starting from elementary school. The solution to be implemented at the elementary school is collaboration with lecturers from the Faculty of Agriculture at Sam Ratulangi University to provide education to the students so that from an early age they can be taught about food security and the love of planting. In addition, there will be hands-on practice in planting vegetables and creating a vegetable garden at the school to encourage students to engage and develop an interest in agriculture as a food provider in support of the Food Security program.

Cyber security education is the process of receiving or giving systematic justification in a school or university or online on the proper use of technological processes, networks and data from cyber-attacks. This study investigated into cyber security education, awareness and challenges among undergraduates at Adeyemi Federal University of Education (AFUED), Ondo, Ondo State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey was adopted for this study. The population comprises of all undergraduates at Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, Ondo State, regardless of their levels, gender and departments. The respondents were selected using simple random sampling technique and the sample size consisted of 560 undergraduates selected from the five faculties in the universities. 102 respondents were selected from Faculty of Arts, 140 were selected from Faculty of Education, 120 from Faculty of Social Sciences and Management, 93 from Faculty of Sciences and 105 were selected from Faculty of Vocational and Technical Education. The Instrument for data collection was the researcher’s self-developed questionnaire titled “Cyber Security Awareness and Challenges: A Study of Undergraduates Questionnaire. “CSACASUQ”. The instrument was validated by 3 lecturers from Department of Computer Science, Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, Ondo State. The reliability Coefficient was obtained using Cronbach Alpha 0.85 value for awareness and 0.91 values for challenges for using cyber security. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation. The finding of the study showed that Nmaps was the most used cyber security tools and that the awareness of cyber security was very high among undergraduates. The study therefore recommends that the cyber security facilities should be adequately provided, and workshops, conferences and seminars should be organized to increase the awareness level of undergraduates

With the rapid growth of information technology and the widespread use of digital devices, social engineering has become one of the most pressing challenges in today’s cybersecurity landscape. In simple terms, social engineering involves manipulating people by exploiting human psychology to carry out harmful activities. This review explores different types of social engineering threats across various environments, emphasizing how people rather than systems or technologies are often the weakest link in security. As a result, there's a growing need to boost awareness among users. One of the most effective ways to tackle this issue is through targeted training and educational programs. This paper discusses how creative and well-structured information security education can significantly improve user awareness and help reduce the number of cyber incidents.

The use of information devices on the Internet poses security risks, such as the leakage of personal information and account hijacking. One of the primary causes of these issues is the use of weak passwords and password leakage. However, if users possess knowledge about password strength, they can prevent the creation of weak passwords. In Japan's primary education system, students use information devices to distribute class materials and share contacts. Therefore, providing information security education to young people is of utmost importance today. On the other hand, there is a field known as gaming education. Gaming education is an instructional method that incorporates games into learning to enhance students' understanding and motivation. In this study, we developed an educational information security game, Mallory in Secured Office, which runs on smartphones and is designed for young users. The game is structured as an escape game set in a corporate office. The objective is to escape from the office while encountering information security challenges that could arise in such an environment. We evaluated the game with 22 participants using completion time measurements and a questionnaire survey. The results showed that players were able to engage with the topic of password management, and survey responses indicated increased interest and understanding of proper password handling

Abstract: This community-service program was implemented through the Program Pemberdayaan Umat (PRODAMAT) of Universitas Ahmad Dahlan with the aim of enhancing digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness among teachers at Muhammadiyah Boarding School (MBS) Yogyakarta. The activity focused on smartphone account security education through practical steps such as password management, two-factor authentication (2FA), and phishing awareness. A participatory approach was applied through training involving 15 teachers and staff, combining interactive discussions, demonstrations, and pretest–posttest evaluation. The results showed an increase in the average knowledge score from 4.63 to 4.90, digital awareness from 4.05 to 4.45, and intention and safe digital behavior from 4.35 to 4.73. These improvements reflect positive changes in participants’ understanding, awareness, and behavior toward digital security. The program highlights the importance of integrating technological skills with ethical and religious values to promote sustainable digital empowerment in Islamic educational environments.

In today's digitally interconnected world, the convergence of digital literacy and cyber security has become a pressing concern for educators, policymakers, and researchers. As students increasingly engage with digital platforms, there is a growing need to equip them not only with the technical skills to navigate digital tools but also with the knowledge to safeguard their digital presence. This paper critically examines the intersection of digital literacy and cyber security in education, emphasizing their intertwined roles in fostering competent, safe, and ethical digital citizens. Drawing on recent literature, the study explores the expanding definition of digital literacy beyond functional skills to include critical thinking, ethical awareness, and responsible use of digital content. Concurrently, it underscores the importance of cyber security education in mitigating risks such as cyberbullying, phishing, identity theft, and misinformation. Despite the acknowledged value of integrating these domains, schools often face challenges related to outdated curricula, insufficient teacher training, and limited resources. However, effective strategies such as technology-integrated instruction, digital citizenship programs, and ongoing professional development offer promising pathways for embedding these competencies across educational settings. The findings suggest that when properly implemented, digital literacy and cyber security education not only improve academic performance but also enhance students’ critical thinking, digital responsibility, and resilience to online threats. The paper concludes by calling for sustained research and innovation to support holistic and adaptable educational practices in the face of an evolving digital landscape.

EDITORIAL NOTE Zamfara International Journal of Education (ZIJE) is the official Journal of the Faculty of Education, Federal University Gusau Zamfara State, Nigeria. The Journal publishes articles of diverse fields of interest in Education. Papers reporting original research and extended version of already established conference and journal articles are welcomed. Papers for publication are selected through peer review process to ensure originality, relevance and readability. The aim and scope of the journal is to provide an academic medium and an important reference for the advancement and dissemination of information that supports high level learning, teaching and research in the fields of Education. This edition, Volume 5, Number 4, August, 2025 is poised to present research reports in the following fields of education: Educational Foundations, Science Education, Educational Psychology, Curriculum & Instructional Technology, Guidance & Counselling, Philosophy & History of Education, Sociology of Education, Entrepreneurship education, Special and inclusive Education, Physical & Health Education Religious Education, Gender Studies, Peace & Security Education among Others. The articles in this volume are academic and professional discourse written by reputable scholars in their areas of specialization. The Board wish to also acknowledge the efforts of the editorial members, for their ceaseless support towards successful publication of the journal. In the same vein, we acknowledge quite sincerely the assistance and support of our esteemed consulting editors for ensuring the credibility of this edition. Also, worthy of appreciation are the Authors and their immense contributions to this publication. Dr. Umar SodangiEditor-in-Chief/ Chairman Editorial BoardDean, Faculty of Education, Federal University Gusau

EDITORIAL NOTE Zamfara International Journal of Education (ZIJE) is the official Journal of the Faculty of Education, Federal University Gusau Zamfara State, Nigeria. The Journal publishes articles of diverse fields of interest in Education. Papers reporting original research and extended version of already established conference and journal articles are welcomed. Papers for publication are selected through peer review process to ensure originality, relevance and readability. The aim and scope of the journal is to provide an academic medium and an important reference for the advancement and dissemination of information that supports high level learning, teaching and research in the fields of Education. This edition, Volume 5, Number 4, August, 2025 is poised to present research reports in the following fields of education: Educational Foundations, Science Education, Educational Psychology, Curriculum & Instructional Technology, Guidance & Counselling, Philosophy & History of Education, Sociology of Education, Entrepreneurship education, Special and inclusive Education, Physical & Health Education Religious Education, Gender Studies, Peace & Security Education among Others. The articles in this volume are academic and professional discourse written by reputable scholars in their areas of specialization. The Board wish to also acknowledge the efforts of the editorial members, for their ceaseless support towards successful publication of the journal. In the same vein, we acknowledge quite sincerely the assistance and support of our esteemed consulting editors for ensuring the credibility of this edition. Also, worthy of appreciation are the Authors and their immense contributions to this publication. Dr. Umar SodangiEditor-in-Chief/ Chairman Editorial BoardDean, Faculty of Education, Federal University Gusau

BackgroundInformation security is a critical challenge in the digital age, especially for hospitals, which are prime targets for cyberattacks due to the monetary worth of sensitive medical data. Given the distinctive security risks faced by health care professionals, tailored Security Education, Training, and Awareness (SETA) programs are needed to increase both their ability and willingness to integrate security practices into their workflows.ObjectiveThis study investigates the effectiveness of a video-based security training, which was customized for hospital settings and enriched with motivational framing strategies to build information security skills among health care professionals. The training stands out from conventional interventions in this context, particularly by incorporating a dual-motive model to differentiate between self- and other-oriented goals as stimuli for skill acquisition. The appeal to the professional values of responsible health care work, whether absent or present, facilitates a nuanced examination of differential framing effects on training outcomes.MethodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted with 130 health care professionals from 3 German university hospitals. Participants within 2 intervention groups received either a self-oriented framing (focused on personal data protection) or an other-oriented framing (focused on patient data protection) at the beginning of a security training video. A control group watched the same video without any framing. Skill assessments using situational judgment tests before and after the training served to evaluate skill growth in all 3 groups.ResultsMembers of the other-oriented intervention group, who were motivated to protect patients, exhibited the highest increase in security skills (ΔM=+1.13, 95% CI 0.82-1.45), outperforming both the self-oriented intervention group (ΔM=+0.55, 95% CI 0.24-0.86; P=.04) and the control group (ΔM=+0.40, 95% CI 0.10-0.70; P=.004). Conversely, the self-oriented framing of the training content, which placed emphasis on personal privacy, did not yield significantly greater improvements in security skills over the control group (mean difference=+0.15, 95% CI –0.69 to 0.38; P>.99). Further exploratory analyses suggest that the other-oriented framing was particularly impactful among participants who often interact with patients personally, indicating that a higher frequency of direct patient contact may increase receptiveness to this framing strategy.ConclusionsThis study underscores the importance of aligning SETA programs with the professional values of target groups, in addition to adapting these programs to specific contexts of professional action. In the investigated hospital setting, a motivational framing that resonates with health care professionals’ sense of responsibility for patient safety has proven to be effective in promoting skill growth. The findings offer a pragmatic pathway with a theoretical foundation for implementing beneficial motivational framing strategies in SETA programs within the health care sector.

IntroductionWith the advent of the information economy era, incidents of personal data breaches have occurred frequently, and the issue of personal information protection has become increasingly prominent. As primary users of Internet services, college students have seen their information security behavior emerge as a focal point of both academic inquiry and public concern. Investigating the factors influencing these behaviors holds substantial significance for enhancing the quality of university-based information security education and advancing the development of safe campus ecosystems.MethodsBased on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), this study constructed hypotheses about influencing factors of information security behavior among college students. Drawing on urban distribution across China, 23 cities were selected for data collection, with college students as the target population. A total of 3,030 valid questionnaires were ultimately retained. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS 20.0, including reliability tests, validity tests and regression analysis, to systematically explore the relationship between information security behavior and threat appraisal (perceived threat) as well as coping appraisal (self-efficacy, response efficacy and response cost).ResultsEmpirical analysis indicates that perceived threat, self-efficacy, and response efficacy exert a significant positive effect on college students’ information security behavior, among which response efficacy demonstrates the strongest positive impact. Conversely, response cost shows a significant negative impact on college students’ information security behavior.DiscussionThese findings not only help enrich the knowledge system in the field of information security, but also provides practical insights for strengthening the campus information security environments. Furthermore, they provide actionable insights for policymakers tasked with addressing issues in information security behavior.

Purpose - This study examines the impact of teaching ethical hacking to twelfth graders in a private school from the students' perspective. It analyzes using an ethical hacking pedagogical approach to enhance information security instruction. Method - A case study design was employed, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three twelfth-grade students who were purposefully selected to investigate their experiences with ethical hacking. Results - The findings indicate that ethical hacking positively impacts students' professional development by enhancing problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills relevant to various fields. Notably, twelfth graders participating in ethical hacking form a close-knit community that collaborates and shares resources, fostering positive social interaction. Additionally, the findings highlight that this teaching method helps twelfth graders prioritise legal aspects, such as obtaining authorisation and respecting privacy laws. Furthermore, teaching ethical hacking challenges stereotypes, promotes responsibility, and encourages a positive attitude towards cybersecurity. The findings suggest that incorporating ethical hacking into information security instruction offers practical and engaging learning opportunities. Originality – The results are significant because few studies have examined twelfth graders' perceptions of ethical hacking in the era of digital advancement. This research enhances the likelihood of successful and problem-free information security programmes.

In the context of globalization and media convergence, the development of national security education systems urgently requires innovative communication approaches. Using communication theory as an analytical framework, this study examines how national security-themed films and TV dramas reshape discourse through mediated narratives, exploring the logic and practical characteristics of their educational mechanisms. The research reveals that contemporary state-produced content has established a multi-dimensional communication system-”state-led -market collaboration -technology empowerment” - based on agenda-setting, use and fulfillment, and framing theories. This system guides public perception and strengthens value alignment through genre-specific storytelling. However, structural challenges persist, including stratified communication effectiveness, content homogenization, and lack of interactive mechanisms. To address these issues, the paper proposes optimization strategies such as audience-targeted precision communication, technology-driven narrative innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaborative mechanisms, ultimately building a new national security legal system characterized by dynamism, participation, and omnimedia integration.