The Role of Digital Literacy in Shaping Cybersecurity Awareness Across Young Generations in the United Arab Emirates

Cybersecurity awareness has become a critical concern in the context of rapid digital transformation and the growing sophistication of cyber threats. While previous research has identified password security, browser security, and social media activities as key factors influencing cybersecurity awareness, the role of digital literacy remains underexplored, particularly in multicultural environments. This study examines the factors affecting cybersecurity awareness among adults in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), extending the existing theoretical framework by introducing digital literacy as a novel variable. Data were collected from 150 respondents through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Cronbach’s Alpha, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, simple and multiple linear regression, the Mann–Whitney U test, and the Kruskal–Wallis test. Results indicate that all four predictors—password security (β = 0.317), browser security (β = 0.149), social media activities (β = 0.209), and digital literacy (β = 0.256)—significantly predict cybersecurity awareness, with the combined model explaining 53.6% of variance (R2 = 0.536). Digital literacy showed the strongest correlation with cybersecurity awareness (r = 0.614, p = 0.000). Demographic analyses revealed significant differences across age groups and digital literacy levels, with younger respondents and those with higher digital literacy consistently demonstrating higher levels of cybersecurity awareness. These findings highlight the importance of integrating digital literacy into cybersecurity education programs, particularly in multicultural contexts. From a theoretical perspective, this study extends the existing cybersecurity awareness framework by introducing digital literacy as a novel predictor variable and validates its significance in a unique multicultural environment. From a practical perspective, the findings provide empirically grounded guidelines for the development of culturally adapted cybersecurity education programs, with particular emphasis on age-differentiated approaches and the potential role of younger generations as drivers of cybersecurity awareness in the UAE and similar multicultural contexts.