Assessing the Awareness and Preparedness of Indonesian College Students Against Cyber Threats

The development of information technology also increases the cyber threat. For example, students become more vulnerable to cyber threats that risk their data and learning coherence as the education industry becomes more digitally integrated. This study uses the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) as its theoretical framework to assess Indonesian university students’ awareness and preparedness to handle cyber threats. This study administered a structured questionnaire, obtained 215 valid responses, and analyzed the data using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) analysis.. The results show that students’ perceptions of cyber threats are significantly affected by threat severity (β=0.326; p=0.000), threat vulnerability (β=0.150; p=0.010), response efficacy (β=0.160; p=0.018), and self-efficacy (β=0.172; p=0.012). Students who recognize high risk and feel capable of enacting safeguards report significantly higher cybersecurity awareness and preparedness levels. These constructed threat perceptions have a favourable impact on awareness and preparedness. However, response cost did not significantly influence cyber threat, suggesting that this variable is not a cyber risk. These findings highlight the value of strategic instructional efforts focused on cybersecurity measures to foster digital resilience in higher education settings.