Exploring how knowledge and social norms shape cybersecurity practices in Java Island, Indonesia

The rapid diffusion of digital technologies in Indonesia has substantially increased exposure to cybersecurity risks, including cyberterrorism, thereby heightening the importance of individual preventive behavior. This study examines how knowledge experience and social norms influence decisions to enhance cybersecurity practices, with a specific empirical focus on Java Island. Building on an integrated framework that combines Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the study positions perceived security as a central mediating mechanism linking cognitive evaluations and motivational factors to behavioral intentions. The analysis applies Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to estimate both direct and indirect relationships among knowledge experience, threat appraisal, coping appraisal, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived security, and cybersecurity decision-making. The findings identify perceived security as a key cognitive anchor that translates risk awareness and self-efficacy into concrete protective actions. This study extends the PMT–TPB framework within a developing-country context and offers policy-relevant insights emphasizing capacity-building, experiential learning, and user empowerment over norm-based cybersecurity interventions.