درجة الوعي بالأمن السيبراني لدى طلبة المرحلة المتوسطة بالقصيم

This study aimed to identify the level of cybersecurity awareness among intermediate school students in the  qassim region, focusing on two main dimensions: conceptual cybersecurity awareness and behavioral cybersecurity awareness. The study employed the descriptive–analytical method, and a  uestionnaire consisting of 20 items was administered to a randomly selected stratified sample of 382 students.The findings revealed that the overall level of cybersecurity awareness among intermediate students was moderate tending toward high, with a total mean score of (2.11). The mean score for conceptual awareness was (2.10), while behavioral awareness reached (2.11), suggesting a close alignment between the cognitive and behavioral dimensions of cybersecurity awareness among students. Results further indicated that students possess a fundamental understanding of cybersecurity concepts, such as protecting personal information and using strong passwords. However, some behavioral and technical practices—such as updating applications regularly and avoiding public Wi-Fi networks -still re uire further enhancement through educational and practical interventions. In light of these findings, the study recommends integrating cybersecurity concepts and skills into the school curricula and extracurricular activities in an interactive and experiential manner, and fostering students’ critical thinking skills when engaging with digital technologies, to promote a safe and sustainable digital culture within the educational community.
Keywords: Awareness, Cybersecurity, Middle School Students