Iraqi public awareness of cyber threats Via social media for protection against terrorist risks

Abstract

 Cybersecurity in the context of the escalating terrorist attacks targeting institutions and individuals, emerges as a crucial shield for protecting the social fabric. Terrorism increasingly relies on advanced technologies to promote violence and carry out cyberattacks. Additionally, terrorist breaches lead to the spread of chaos and fear. Therefore, it is essential to enhance cybersecurity capabilities to address these challenges and ensure the stability of the social and economic structures. Based on this, the aim of this research is to assess the level of awareness of the Iraqi society regarding cybersecurity threats through social media platforms or networks to safeguard against associated terrorist risks. A survey study was conducted using a questionnaire distributed to 400 participants from Baghdad, both from the Karkh and Rusafa sides, aged 18 and above, including both males and females, through a cluster random sampling method.

        The results revealed partial awareness among 45.8% of the sample regarding cyber threats, with the dissemination of misleading information being the most prominent threat at 34.8%. It was also found that the media is the primary source for learning cybersecurity techniques, accounting for 36.2%. Furthermore, the results indicated that the effectiveness of cybersecurity awareness was "moderately effective," with a response rate of 37%.