Measuring Awareness and Ability of Students in Securing Personal Sensitive Data on Mobile Phones

This chapter explores the awareness and capability of students to protect their personal and sensitive data on mobile phones. Given the widespread use of smartphones for social media, online learning, and financial transactions, especially among college students, concerns about information security are critical. Employing a comprehensive theoretical framework integrating the Technology Acceptance Model, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Protection Motivation Theory, the study examines factors influencing students’ attitudes, intentions, and behaviors toward mobile data security. Variables analyzed include perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, perceived behavioral control, attitude, subjective norms, perceived vulnerability, security awareness, controllability, and behavioral intention. The findings highlight the need for targeted educational initiatives and policy interventions to enhance students’ cybersecurity competencies. This research fills an existing gap by offering insights into effectively equipping students to mitigate risks associated with mobile phone security breaches.