Empirical analysis found gaps in cybersecurity awareness among students in Sierra Leone, suggesting institutional support and self-efficacy are key factors.
Key Points
Results indicate moderate cybersecurity awareness (M = 3.42/5) among students, with only 12% able to identify phishing attempts.
Self-efficacy (β = 0.58) and institutional support (β = 0.49) emerged as strong predictors of protective behaviors, while perceived severity had a weaker impact (β = 0.35).
A notable gap exists with 89% of students using the internet daily, yet lacking fundamental cybersecurity knowledge and skills.
Private institutions reported higher training quality (4.12) compared to government ones (3.56), with significant differences in VPN usage rates.