Designing Cybersecurity Awareness Solutions for Young People in Rural Developing Countries: Insights and Lessons Learned

Cybersecurity challenges and the need for awareness are well-recognized in developed countries, but this still needs attention in less-developed countries. This paper presents a design science research study exploring which factors we should consider when designing cybersecurity awareness solutions for young people in developing countries. We have developed prototypes of mini-cybersecurity awareness applications and conducted a pilot study with six participants (aged 16-30) from the Gambia. Our findings show that factors like the influence of culture and social constructs, literacy, language competence, and the way of introducing cybersecurity concepts are essential to consider when designing and developing cybersecurity awareness resources. The findings of this study will guide future researchers to create more inclusive cybersecurity awareness resources for users in developing countries and from diverse backgrounds.