TY - JOUR
T1 - Cybersecurity education, awareness raising, and training initiatives
T2 - National level evidence-based results, challenges, and promise
AU - Shillair, Ruth
AU - Esteve-González, Patricia
AU - Dutton, William H.
AU - Creese, Sadie
AU - Nagyfejeo, Eva
AU - von Solms, Basie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - This paper assesses the impact of cybersecurity education, awareness raising, and training (CEAT) on the vitality of internet use and services at the national level. CEAT encompasses one of five dimensions of a larger cybersecurity capacity building model (CMM) that was developed by the Global Cybersecurity Capacity Centre. The paper describes this dimension of capacity building within the CMM, and its indicators of education, awareness, and training in cybersecurity capacity. The paper then presents a cross-national analysis of the outcomes of CEAT on internet use based on comparative data from 80 nations. Controlling for contextual variables, such as the wealth of the nations and scale of internet use, the analysis shows a positive and statistically significant impact of CEAT on the vitality of internet use and services, as well as a distribution of CEAT scores that indicates key issues for low-income and developing nations. A qualitative analysis of responses from these nations is used to identify key reasons for their levels of maturity in this area. While recognising key limitations of these findings, it offers suggestions for policy and practice to meet the need for effective programs for education, awareness raising, and training. In addition, the research suggests the need for more detailed indicators of CEAT initiatives in more nations and over time to assess the validity of the findings and the recommendations for policy and practice in this area of capacity building offered in this paper.
AB - This paper assesses the impact of cybersecurity education, awareness raising, and training (CEAT) on the vitality of internet use and services at the national level. CEAT encompasses one of five dimensions of a larger cybersecurity capacity building model (CMM) that was developed by the Global Cybersecurity Capacity Centre. The paper describes this dimension of capacity building within the CMM, and its indicators of education, awareness, and training in cybersecurity capacity. The paper then presents a cross-national analysis of the outcomes of CEAT on internet use based on comparative data from 80 nations. Controlling for contextual variables, such as the wealth of the nations and scale of internet use, the analysis shows a positive and statistically significant impact of CEAT on the vitality of internet use and services, as well as a distribution of CEAT scores that indicates key issues for low-income and developing nations. A qualitative analysis of responses from these nations is used to identify key reasons for their levels of maturity in this area. While recognising key limitations of these findings, it offers suggestions for policy and practice to meet the need for effective programs for education, awareness raising, and training. In addition, the research suggests the need for more detailed indicators of CEAT initiatives in more nations and over time to assess the validity of the findings and the recommendations for policy and practice in this area of capacity building offered in this paper.
KW - Awareness
KW - Cybersecurity
KW - Education
KW - Internet
KW - Training
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130610331&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cose.2022.102756
DO - 10.1016/j.cose.2022.102756
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85130610331
SN - 0167-4048
VL - 119
JO - Computers and Security
JF - Computers and Security
M1 - 102756
ER -