Measurement of Employees’ Cybersecurity Awareness: The Case of Van Province

Abstract

Purpose – The primary aim of this study is to measure the cyber security awareness levels of employees in Van province and examine the relationship between these awareness levels and demographic factors (age, gender, education level, sector). In today's rapidly advancing digital transformation, the importance of cyber security awareness is increasing for both individuals and institutions. This research aims to serve as a guide in developing cyber security strategies and identifying the training needs of employees.
Design/methodology/approach – The data used in this study were obtained through a survey conducted with 451 actively working individuals in Van province. The collected data were then analyzed using SPSS and AMOS statistical software.
Results – The findings indicate that demographic factors do not directly effect overall awareness levels, but variables such as gender and age created differences in subdimensions. The study reveals that education level significantly influences awareness and high lights the importance of continuous education in enhancingin dividual awareness. It was also observed that the sector factor does not have a significant impact on awareness; however, sector-specifictraining programs addressing specific threat scould be beneficial.
Discussion – This study emphasizes that demographic factors alone are not decisive in increasing cybe rsecurity awareness. However, continuous and sector-specific education proves to be more effective. Additionally, cyber security awareness training should be regularly updated and tailored to the needs of individuals. Theres earch findings are expected to contribute to the development of cyber security strategies in institutions and assist in identifying the training needs of employees, providing a significant roadmap for this purpose.