This dissertation addresses the problem of practice of the high rate of employees in financial organizations clicking on phishing links, positioning their companies at risk of a data incident or breach. The financial sector was the most breached industry in 2022 (Schwartz, 2022) and was impacted the most by malicious phishing emails (Trellix…

Internet-enabled tools, cloud-based platforms, and digital communication devices have revolutionized the educational landscape but this digital transformation has increased students' exposure to cyber risks and threats exponentially. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate the relationship between technology…

The rapid advancement of powerful Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT and Llama, has revolutionized the world by bringing new creative possibilities and enhancing productivity. However, these advancements also pose significant challenges and risks, including the potential for misuse in the form of fake news, academic dishonesty,…

This Praxis develops a machine learning (ML) model to address ransomware threats in higher education institutions (HEIs). HEIs are vulnerable to cyberattacks due to their open-access environments, diverse user bases, and decentralized IT systems. These vulnerabilities are compounded by limited budgets, heightened risks from increased digital…

The need in the public sector is to help people 60+ years of age in the safe, practical use of technology for business, personal use, and family interaction, as this group is targeted more than others for technology fraud. The practice-focused question centers around which topics need to be part of technology fraud pilot training to reduce the…

Moving from high school to college is a major life transition leading to significant changes across many aspects of daily life. This time frame is often seen as the transition from a youth to a young adult, yet its impact on technology use and cybersecurity vulnerabilities remains relatively unstudied. This study investigated which factors…

The 21st century has brought about an increase in the popularity of social media networking usage on a global level, especially among college students. Social connectivity has become a vital part of the daily lives of college students, providing connections with their educational, personal, and social lives. The purpose of this qualitative study…

The purpose of this study is to identify the best model that explains the relationship between conflicting risk structures and decision quality. Using confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression techniques as statistical methods, the author confirmed that changes in the conflicting risk structures correlated with changes in decision…

As the digital world evolves, so does the risk of cyberattacks. Despite technology playing a vital role in nullifying these threats, the human factor is still regarded as one of the greatest weaknesses. End-user behavior is a major cause of information security breaches. This quantitative empirical study used a single-group, pre-post-test,…

Cybersecurity awareness training plays a vital role for organizations in guaranteeing resources' availability. Sufficient education regarding security awareness necessitates relating both the scope and importance of the training. This research determines the correlation between an employee's risk score and the effectiveness of AI-based security…

The speed and availability of Internet-capable devices, such as computers, smartphones, gaming consoles, TVs, and tablets have made it possible for our society to be connected, and stay connected to the Internet 24 hours a day. The Internet of Things (IoT) describes a new environment where common objects are uniquely identifiable and accessible…

The United States Military has become increasingly dependent upon technology to meet its mission objectives with a consequence being greater dependence on civilian defense contractors to provide specialized services in support of high-tech mission requirements. Modern military defense contractors have also become dependent upon reliable and secure…

Bring your own device (BYOD) is the use of uncontrolled devices, which increases risks to business data and intellectual property. Like centralized and distributed computing adoption before it, the rapid proliferation of BYOD has outstripped security advances. The trend is growing due to the expectations of the Millennial workforce and its high…

Privacy and surveillance are pervasive words not only in higher education but also in many areas in our life. We use and hear them often while shopping online, reading the news, or checking the policies and terms of websites. In this study, I highlight the challenges of data collection and surveillance in education, specifically, in online…

With privacy settings on social networking sites (SNS) perceived as complex and difficult to use and maintain, young adults can be left vulnerable to others accessing and using their personal information. Consequences of not regulating the boundaries their information on SNS include the ability for current and future employers to make…