Digital Security Awareness and Practices in Omani Higher Education: A Qualitative SWOT Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33152/jmphss-10.2.9Keywords:
digital security, SWOT, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, practices, awarenessAbstract
The rapid pace of digital transformation has reshaped educational environments worldwide, generating new opportunities while posing complex challenges related to digital security. For higher education students, secure engagement with technology has become a vital competency, particularly in contexts where digital learning, research, and communication are central to academic and professional success. The present paper investigates the digital security practices of higher education students in Oman to uncover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A phenomenological qualitative approach is utilized to study digital awareness and practices and sixteen students from different high education institutions were interviewed. The data collected were analyzed using SWOT framework. The students’ answers to the questions related to their knowledge, understanding and practices of digital security revealed their understanding of digital security as protection and socio-technical practice, awareness of digital risks, knowledge about sources of security awareness and secure practices of password and account protection practices. However, the weaknesses that students explained underscores their awareness-practices gaps and barriers which are results of limited security knowledge and risk awareness and low interest, seriousness, and perceived importance and convenience, time pressure, and security fatigue. The opportunities provided by the institutions include institutional awareness and guidance, practical and experiential security training, curriculum integration and formal security learning and early, mandatory, and continuous training. The students’ responses to the interview questions underscore the digital security threats that include phishing, suspicious links, fake websites, account hacking, compromise, and misuse, financial fraud and information theft and data leakage, exposure, and privacy misuse. In conclusion, while the students possess basic security knowledge, high education institutions are urged to establish comprehensive security cultures and maintain continuous awareness programs, clear security policies, regular training and effective reporting mechanisms to enhance digital security awareness and practices in Omani higher education institutions.
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