Assessment of Security Awareness Level of Mobile Device Users in Tertiary Institutions in Plateau State of Nigeria

Abstract

Mobile devices are widely used in everyday life,
however, the number of cyber-attacks on the security and privacy of
mobile device users are increased. Although students at tertiary
institutions are savvy Internet users, there appears to be a gap between
their behaviors and the security of their mobile devices. The security
awareness of mobile device users in tertiary institutions in Nigeria's
Plateau State is assessed in this article. The study looks into mobile
security vulnerabilities, as well as whether or not users are aware of
them and what tactics (if any) they take to deal with them. A
questionnaire is used as an instrument to acquire information about
consumers' security awareness. The purpose is to see if academic
literacy and the ability to utilize mobile devices are related to security
awareness and the implementation of relevant security measures. It
also tries to figure out whether users who value mobile device security
and have legitimate security concerns engage in behaviors that either
enhance or compromise security. The findings demonstrate that the
majority of students (58.4%) have a strong understanding of their
devices (including their functions) and that a substantial percentage of
students (85.6%) regard mobile device security to be vital.
Furthermore, (63.4 %) of respondents are concerned about the security
of their mobile devices. In conclusion, the outcome of this study shows
that smartphone users have little knowledge of security and privacy on
smartphones but then the level of security awareness using
smartphones is increasing as respondents answered the questionnaire.