Cybersecurity awareness among university students in Mogadishu: a comparative study

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the level of cyber security awareness among graduate and undergraduate students in five universities in Mogadishu. The study used a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine the difference in cyber security awareness levels between graduate and undergraduate students across five reputable universities. The questionnaire method was used to collect data from 250 graduate and undergraduate students from SIMAD, SIU, UNISO, Jamhuriya, and Mogadishu universities. The cross-tabulation result showed that there was a significant difference in cyber security awareness levels between the universities. Specifically, the results showed that students from SIMAD and Jamhuriya universities suffered from virus attacks, while SIU students struggled with password strength and social network misuse. Mogadishu students faced phishing and virus attacks, and UNISO students dealt with both virus attacks and password strength issues. The study recommended that universities educate their students and parents on safe internet usage and cybersecurity and monitor and secure their internet and computer services. Additionally, the authors recommended the development of cybersecurity software to help students use their data confidently and securely.