Contributing Factors in Measuring Interest Levels in VR Cybersecurity Training

Abstract

There is a significant focus on cybersecurity training to thwart and respond to cyberattacks, which continue to grow in ubiquity and complexity. Traditional cybersecurity training may not always be effective in the aforementioned. Thus, Virtual Reality (VR) cybersecurity training modules may remediate ineffective cybersecurity training platforms. However, the interest levels in undergoing VR cybersecurity training and the potential acceptance of VR cybersecurity training need to be examined. Thus, this article aims to investigate the factors that influence interest in VR cybersecurity training modules. The factors being examined include gender and age. Overall, a better understanding of these factors can help decision makers understand if VR cybersecurity training platforms can be right for their organization. In general, this study found that gender and age do not affect the interest levels in undergoing VR cybersecurity training modules. Additionally, this study examines the relationship between traditional cybersecurity training methods and VR cybersecurity training methods. This study aims to gather participants' perceived interest levels, usefulness, and ease of using VR cybersecurity training platforms. Furthermore, this study explores the impact of previously undergoing a form of cybersecurity training on the overall interest levels of VR cybersecurity training. A difference was noted between the overall interest levels of participants that have not undergone a form of cybersecurity training and those that have undergone a form of training. The overall interest level, usefulness, and ease of use differed between the groups that did not undergo cybersecurity training. Consequently, this demonstrates that there may be a current gap in cybersecurity training that can be filled by an interactive and engaging cybersecurity training platform, such as VR simulations and games.