Determining Cyber Security-Related Behaviors of Internet Users: Example of the Faculty of Sport Sciences Students

Abstract

The most practical and fastest way to access information in today's world is via the internet. Thanks to the internet, the necessary information can be reached in a short time. Nevertheless, in addition to the benefits of the internet, it can also pose risks for users. For this reason, it is important to increase the level of awareness of individuals against threats that may occur in the cyber network. Sports organizations, like other sectors, process sensitive personal data and may face cyber attacks. It is important to determine the cyber security behaviors of the students of the faculty of sport sciences, who will be taking part in different careers in sports in the future, and so to contribute to the students' development in this regard. In this study, the cyber security-related behaviors of the faculty of sport sciences students were examined in terms of gender, age, frequency of internet usage, frequency of monthly purchases of products or services over the internet, and level of knowledge about cyber security. The “Personal Cyber Security Provision Scale” developed by Erol and associates (2015) was used as a data collection tool. For this reason, ANOVA and Independent Samples t-Test were used to investigate the significant differences between the scale scores and the variables. According to the findings of the study, students' behaviors related to cyber security differ according to gender, daily internet usage, monthly product or service purchase frequency, and knowledge level about cyber security. The age variable, on the other hand, does not affect cyber security behaviors. According to the results obtained from the Personal Cyber Security Ensuring Scale, the students of the faculty of sport sciences have high cyber security awareness. However, it is seen that they have lower scores from the factors of “Take Precautions” and "Privacy Protection” compared to other factors on the scale. Therefore, it is important for students to be informed about cyber security practices, what kind of precautions they should take in this regard, and how they can learn about improvements in this field to create cyber security awareness.