A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CYBER SECURITY BEHAVIOURS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Concern over cyber security is on the rise because of our growing reliance on technology. Examining students’ awareness of cyber security is crucial because they frequently use technology. The paper compares student awareness of cyber security at Erzurum Technical University and Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University. The review investigated both the effectiveness of these universities’ cyber security education initiatives as well as the students’ understanding of cyber security issues. Throughout the online education process, the research was carried out in Türkiye and Kyrgyzstan. The findings revealed that students at Erzurum Technical University were more knowledgeable of cyber security issues than those at Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University. The article made a number of recommendations based on the findings for raising student awareness of cyber security, including education and training, regular assessments, fostering a culture of cyber security, incorporating cyber security into the curriculum, and creating a cyber-security community. According to the article’s conclusion, colleges are crucial in ensuring that students are well-informed and have the skills and information they need to defend themselves online.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical Statement

This study was approved by the Faculty of Economics and Management, Kyrgyz Turkish Manas University with the document number R.30.2021/IBF-1745. (03/02/2021) and was approved Erzurum Technical University Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee with the document number 13/1 (16 July 2021).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Merve Yildirim

Merve Yıldırım received the B.Sc. degree in computer engineering from Haliç University, Turkey, in 2010, and the M.Sc. degree in advanced computer science and the Ph.D. degree in infor- matics and software engineering from the Uni- versity of Sussex, U.K., in 2012 and 2017, respectively. She is currently an Assistant Professor with the Department of Computer Engineering, Erzurum Technical University, Turkey. She has been work- ing as the Head of the Department, since 2021. Her research interests include cybersecurity, the Internet of Things, human–computer interactions, and network systems.

Mehmet Emin Erendor

Mehmet Emin Erendor received his bachelor’s degree in international relations from the Univer- sity of Kırıkkale, Turkey, in 2008, the master’s degree in international law: rights and responsi- bilities from the University of Sussex, Brighton, in 2011, and the Ph.D. degree in international relations from the University of Southampton, in 2017. From 2017 to 2018, he worked as a Research Assistant at the University of Çukurova. Since 2018, he has been an Associate Professor with the Department of International Relations, Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University. He is currently working with the Department of International Relations, Kyrgyzs-Turkish Manas University. His research interests include cybersecurity, terrorism, human rights, human- itarian interventions, and international organizations.