CYBERSECURITY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: A PILOT STUDY ON STUDENTS’ AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIORS
Keywords:
cybersecurity, awareness, knowledge, attitudes, behavior, students, Bosnia and HerzegovinaAbstract
Cybersecurity is a constantly growing concern worldwide and Bosnia and Herzegovina is no exception. Younger generations and students are constantly exposed to different online threats (phishing, malware, data breaches, privacy violations and many others). It is very important to address cybersecurity phenomenon properly amongst students in order to build effective resilience techniques and to raise awareness about this topic. This study is quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory pilot study that provides an empirical insight into the level of cybersecurity awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral practices among university students in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This research addresses an evident research gap in this field, since there are no enough publications and research on the topic of cybersecurity awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral practices amongst students in general. In this study an online survey is used as methodological framework. The survey was divided into four sections: demographic data, knowledge-based questions, attitudinal statements, and behavioral indicators related to cybersecurity practices and total of 105 students participated in the study and completed the survey. Analysis of the collected data was conducted using the R programming language and R Studio environment and statistical methods included descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum), internal consistency (Cronbach’s α), and basic inferential tests (chi-square and ANOVA). The results suggests that there is a high level of awareness of cybersecurity risks amongst students and limited trust in institutions. Also, there is no statistically significant differences between level of knowledge in different disciplines and study programs amongst students. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities are systemically distributed and there is an evident need for interdisciplinary education, continuous awareness programs, and institutional capacity building. Furthermore, this pilot study provides the first empirical datasets from Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral practices among university students in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Cybersecurity awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral practices have to considered an issue of national interest and it is not merely a technical issue, but an educational as well.
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