Cybersecurity Awareness and Skills of Senior Citizens: A Motivation Perspective

ABSTRACT

Senior citizens are one of the most vulnerable groups of Internet users who are prone to cyberattacks. Thus, assessing senior citizens’ motivation to acquire cybersecurity skills is critical to help them understand the risks of cyber-attacks. This study investigated a set of constructs that contribute to senior citizens’ motivation to acquire cybersecurity skills and assessed the actual cybersecurity skill level of these individuals. Utilizing a Web-based survey and a hands-on scenario-based app called MyCyberSkills™, this research study measured the constructs of interest before and after cybersecurity awareness training. Study participants were 254 senior citizens with a mean age of approximately 70 years. The results indicated that the cybersecurity awareness training was effective in increasing the cybersecurity skill level of the senior citizens and empowered them with small but significant improvements in the requisite skills to take mitigating actions against cyberattacks. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Cybersecurity awareness
• cybersecurity skills
• cyber-attack
• identity theft
• intrinsic motivation
• extrinsic motivation
• senior citizens