Technology and the Emerging Force of Change: Cyber Secure Competency Framework for Older Adults Using Delphi Method
Primary Investigator:
Gene Spafford
Julie Wenner
Abstract
The United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO) have teamed up by identifying the decade of 2021- 2030 as “Healthy Ageing, which requests the whole of government and society response to seek to do business differently towards transformative and positive changes for senior adults, their families, and communities” (WHO, n.d.). Stating that “longer lives are one of humanity’s greatest achievements and ensuring there is equal access to technologies across all ages” (WHO, n.d.; Orłowska & Błeszyńska, 2020, Abstract). This study will address the problem that digital technology users incur cyber assaults from unknown and known nefarious actors (Verizon, 2022). To date, Nation States have not included the element of training their citizens on how not to become a statistic within the digital cyberspace of the internet—leaving the general populace uninformed, lacking secure cyber competencies, framework, and knowledge not to become a subsequent digital exploitation.
The literature review identified that Cyber Secure Core Competencies could be designed to create a human firewall methodology mindset for senior adults to change their mental model of Digital Information Systems Protections (ISP). This research proposal introduces security awareness to improve senior adults' poor digital hygiene to create a change in behavior with perceived security awareness; this proposed research study will focus on the following three questions: Question 1 [RQ1]: What competency skills and technical knowledge do senior adult digital users need to adopt to protect themselves online to minimize potential cyber-attacks based on common cybersecurity threats and risks? Question 2 [RQ2]: What are the attitudes, barriers, and challenges that senior adults encounter in adopting cybersecurity best practices? Question 3 [RQ3]: What Cybersecurity practices from other fields, such as digital accessibility or technology adoption and existing Digital Competency models, can be adapted to create a Cybersecurity Competency Model for Senior Adults?
The proposed research will begin in May 2023, with a proposed completion in December 2024. Additional literature reviews of core competency models, the Delphi method design criteria structure for the expert panel member selection, and the Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, IRB requirements are necessary for this research proposal. The best defense against Cyber-attacks is a practiced offense.