Educators’ Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Marginalised Schools in South Africa

Educators’ Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Marginalised Schools in South Africa

연구 분야: Strategies

학회: Annual Conference of South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists

Schools are experiencing an increased adoption and use of technology in curriculum delivery, administrative tasks, and community engagement. This was reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The increased adoption has amplified exposure of schools to cyberattacks, as cyber criminals are finding opportunities such as deploying ransomware, stealing information, and extorting money from schools. Their positioning in a school setting makes educators paramount to cybersecurity in schools since cyber criminals can create a breach in the security system by targeting people, not computers. Schools in most Sub-Saharan Africa countries are, to an extent, defenceless to cyberattacks as the region faces various challenges such as limited financial resources, lack of or weak cybersecurity policies and comprehensive cyber safety initiatives, and limited cybersecurity knowledge and skills by educators. These challenges leave educators, the school and various stakeholders vulnerable to cyber-attacks which may compromise the security of the entire school information systems. This study aims to answer the question: What are the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of educators in marginalised schools in South Africa? The study employed a qualitative exploratory methodology using case studies of four schools located in marginalised schools in the Western Cape and Limpopo provinces of South Africa. We collected the data via semi structured interviews of educators. We analysed the data using thematic analysis based on the threat and coping appraisal constructs of the Protection Motivation Theory. The findings suggest that educators’ cybersecurity vulnerabilities emanate from a limited cybersecurity knowledge and skills which lead to compromised perception of threat severity, threat vulnerability, and misguided cybersecurity self-efficacy among educators. The study contributes to cybersecurity in education by emphasising the need for cybersecurity policies, interventions and initiatives for schools that can address the vulnerability and susceptibility of educators to cybersecurity threats.