Online Cybersecurity Awareness Modules for College and High School Students

Abstract

Cybersecurity is of increasing importance due to the rise in reliance on digital equipment and programs to manage our daily lives, including the transmission and storage of personal information. Research studies establish that an effective security awareness program is one of the most important steps towards increasing cybersecurity. In this study we set out to understand the current level of security awareness among college and high school students and develop a module that will help raise their awareness. The main features of our module are interactivity and the presentation of shocking consequences of careless cyber habits of common Internet/technology users. We designed a survey that includes pre and post-tests to fulfill the goals of our project and administered it to students on our campus and at local high schools. Our survey results indicate that the module has been effective on both bodies of students with most impact on non-Computer Science majors. Results also indicate that there is no significant difference in awareness levels for male versus female students.