The Impact of Students’ Cybersecurity Vulnerability Behavior on E-Learning Obstacles

Abstract Background/purpose This study examines the relationship between students’ cybersecurity vulnerability behavior and e-learning obstacles. With the rapid growth of online education, ensuring the security and privacy of digital platforms has become crucial. In this background, the current study is a first-of-its-kind attempt to understand the relationship between these two variables in the background of higher educational institutions in Iraq. Methods For this study, the researchers collected data during 2023 from students aged between 19 and 25 enrolled in the University of Karbala, Iraq, using a semi-structured research questionnaire, who were selected through a random sampling method. The questionnaire comprised questions pertaining to the dimensions of both the dependent and the independent variable. A total of 350 valid responses were considered for the analysis in which PLS-SEM was conducted. Results The outcomes revealed that the professional and human obstacles have a high association with cyber-security vulnerability behavior. The study also found that the overall obstacles have a significant effect on the cybersecurity vulnerability behavior. All hypotheses were verified and the outcomes confirm that there is an effective relationship between cybersecurity vulnerability behavior and e-learning obstacles Conclusion Based on the study outcomes, the authors proposed a few recommendations for all the stakeholders of the e-learning process, such as educational institutions, governments, faculty members, students, and their parents. Though the current study has been confined to a single university in Iraq, future researchers can focus on expanding the study to other higher educational institutions so that a nationwide policy-level initiative can be brought based on the research evidence.