CYBERCRIME AWARENESS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS: A STUDY AMONG SCHOOL EDUCATORS IN AHMEDABAD CITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55955/430006Keywords:
Cybercrime awareness, School educators, Ahmedabad City, Cybersecurity education, Educational initiatives, Cybersecurity trainingAbstract
In 2025, India's digital transformation has significantly heightened its vulnerability to cyber threats, affecting individuals, organizations, and governmental institutions alike. This study focuses on assessing the awareness of cybercrime among school educators in Ahmedabad City, an essential demographic for enhancing cybersecurity education. Through a quantitative research design and structured questionnaire, data was collected from 120 educators using stratified random sampling. Key findings reveal a high level of awareness among educators regarding cybercrimes like phishing, financial crime and malware, yet significant gaps exist in preparedness and response strategies. Financial cybercrime emerges prominently among the surveyed respondents. Gender was found to influence satisfaction with available cybersecurity solutions, while the type of cybercrime experienced varied across demographic groups. Educators predominantly seek self-education and IT support post-incident, underscoring the need for improved resources and training. The study underscores the importance of tailored cybersecurity strategies and comprehensive educational initiatives to mitigate cyber risks effectively.
References
Abubakari, Y., & Amponsah, A. A. (2024). Economic cybercrime in the diaspora: case of Ghanaian nationals in the USA. Journal of Money Laundering Control. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JMLC-03-2024-0047
Adewopo, V., Azumah, S. W., Yakubu, M. A., Gyamfi, E. K., Ozer, M., & Elsayed, N. (2024). A comprehensive analytical review on cybercrime in West Africa. arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.01649. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43067-025-00216-x
Amoo, O. O., Atadoga, A., Abrahams, T. O., Farayola, O. A., Osasona, F., & Ayinla, B. S. (2024). The legal landscape of cybercrime: A review of contemporary issues in the criminal justice system. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 21(2), 205-217. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.21.2.0438
Batrachenko, T., Lehan, I., Kuchmenko, V., Kovalchuk, V., & Mazurenko, O. (2024). Cybercrime in the context of the digital age: analysis of threats, legal challenges and strategies. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2024ss0212
Bekkers, L. M., Moneva, A., & Leukfeldt, E. R. (2024). Understanding cybercrime involvement: A quasi-experiment on engagement with money mule recruitment ads on Instagram. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 20(2), 375-394. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-022-09537-7
Bruce, M., Lusthaus, J., Kashyap, R., Phair, N., & Varese, F. (2024). Mapping the global geography of cybercrime with the World Cybercrime Index. Plos one, 19(4), e0297312. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297312
Buil-Gil, D., Trajtenberg, N., & Aebi, M. F. (2024). Measuring cybercrime and cyber evidence in Surveys. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21428/cb6ab371.967c7cc2
Europol. (2023). Cybercrime. Retrieved from https://www.europol.europa.eu/crime-areas-and-trends/crime-areas/cybercrime
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2023). Internet crime complaint center (IC3). Retrieved from https://www.ic3.gov
Gajjar, V. R., & Taherdoost, H. (2024, January). Cybercrime on a Global Scale: Trends, Policies, and Cybersecurity Strategies. In 2024 5th International Conference on Mobile Computing and Sustainable Informatics (ICMCSI) (pp. 668-676). IEEE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICMCSI61536.2024.00105
Hall, T., & Yarwood, R. (2024). New geographies of crime? Cybercrime, southern criminology and diversifying research agendas. Progress in Human Geography, 03091325241246015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/03091325241246015
Hughes, J., Pastrana, S., Hutchings, A., Afroz, S., Samtani, S., Li, W., & Santana Marin, E. (2024). The art of cybercrime community research. ACM Computing Surveys, 56(6), 1-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3639362
Kaspersky. (2021). What is cybercrime? Retrieved from https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/what-is-cybercrime
Kaur, G., Bonde, U., Pise, K. L., Yewale, S., Agrawal, P., Shobhane, P., ... & Gangarde, R. (2024). Social Media in the Digital Age: A Comprehensive Review of Impacts, Challenges and Cybercrime. Engineering Proceedings, 62(1), 6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2024062006
Mamadalieva, S., Abdurakhimov, O., & Tojidinov, A. (2024). CYBERCRIME AND TECHNOLOGICAL GADGETS. Research and implementation, 2(2), 16-22.
National Crime Agency. (2022, September 5). Cybercrime statistics 2022. National Crime Agency. https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/cybercrime-statistics-2022
National Cyber Security Centre. (2023). Cyber crime and online fraud. Retrieved from https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyber-crime-and-online-fraud
NortonLifeLock. (2022). What is cybercrime? Retrieved from https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-emerging-threats-what-is-cybercrime.html
Okoru, A. O., & Oluku, O. (2024). Cybercrime, Crime Security and National Development in Nigeria. FUOYE JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND SECURITY STUDIES, 3(2).
Rafie, P. A., Merta, M. M., & Junaidi, J. (2024). THE ENFORCEMENT OF CYBERCRIME LAW WITHIN THE LEGAL SYSTEM OF INDONESIA. JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES, SOCIAL SCIENCES AND BUSINESS, 3(3), 594-600. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55047/jhssb.v3i3.1038
Rasyid, M. F. F., SJ, M. A., Mamu, K. Z., Paminto, S. R., Hidaya, W. A., & Hamadi, A. (2024). CYBERCRIME THREATS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: THE UTILIZATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN ONLINE CRIME. Jurnal Ilmiah Mizani: Wacana Hukum, Ekonomi Dan Keagamaan, 11(1, April), 49-63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29300/mzn.v11i1.3318
Rughiniș, R., Bran, E., Stăiculescu, A. R., & Radovici, A. (2024). From cybercrime to digital balance: How human development shapes digital risk cultures. Information, 15(1), 50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/info15010050
Sankhwar, S., Ahuja, R., Choubey, T., Jain, P., Jain, T., & Verma, M. (2024). Cybercrime in India: An analysis of crime against women in ever expanding digital space. Security and Privacy, 7(1), e340. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/spy2.340
Shafik, W. (2024). Predicting future cybercrime trends in the metaverse era. In Forecasting cyber-crime in the age of the metaverse (pp. 78-113). IGI Global. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-0220-0.ch005
Taherdoost, H. (2024). Insights into Cybercrime Detection and Response: A Review of Time Factor. Information, 15(5), 273. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/info15050273
University of Cybersecurity. (2023, February 8). Resources for educators on preventing cybercrime. University of Cybersecurity. https://www.universityofcybersecurity.edu/resources/preventing-cybercrime
Wall, D. S. (2024). Cybercrime: The transformation of crime in the information age. John Wiley & Sons. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4707509
Whelan, C., Dupont, B., Harkin, D., Martin, J., Miccelli, M., & Villeneuve-Dubuc, M. P. (2024). Expertise integration in cybercrime policing: Exploring civilian career lifecycles. Deviant Behavior, 1-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2024.2357810
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Bhavesh H. Bharad, Dr. Komal B. Sharma

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
