A Study of Cybersecurity Awareness in Sri Lanka

Cybersecurity is focused on helping the community to make knowledgeable decisions on its adaptation and mitigation. This survey evaluated the level of cybersecurity awareness and discernment amongst university students in Sri Lanka. The study was based on primary data collected through a questionnaire on awareness and perception of cybersecurity from respondents in different degree programs among universities in Sri Lanka. The results indicated that experience and the level of cybersecurity awareness among university students in Sri Lanka are not significantly low, but there are some knowledge gaps with new threats. Further, the results showed that university students in Sri Lanka were able to identify cybercrime as a threat. These findings necessitate building awareness and developing capacity to improve student’s knowledge on the cybersecurity subject especially if universities are to be used as a key focal point in cybersecurity awareness campaigns in Sri Lanka.