Cybersecurity Awareness Among Undergraduate Students in Saudi Arabia: A Quantitative Study

Cybersecurity awareness has become increasingly important as digital services expand rapidly in Saudi Arabia. This study presents a quantitative assessment of cybersecurity awareness among undergraduate students in Riyadh and Jeddah. A structured questionnaire was administered to 177 students to evaluate awareness across three dimensions: internet usage, information security practices, and social media and smartphone security. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, regression, and cluster analysis, were applied to identify patterns and influencing factors. The results indicate a moderate overall level of cybersecurity awareness, with stronger adoption of passive security measures such as antivirus software and firewalls, and weaker engagement with proactive practices, including password management, VPN usage, and two-factor authentication. A key finding is the identification of a smartphone-related security gap: students who rely exclusively on smartphones show significantly lower awareness. The study highlights the influence of device usage and institutional context on cybersecurity behavior and provides recommendations to enhance cybersecurity education and awareness initiatives in higher education.