Educational cybersecurity intervention measures for vulnerable refugee populations in Kansas

Abstract

Kansas, a state that receives large numbers of refugees through the International Rescue Committee, suffers from a dearth in research about online protective measures for at-risk communities. In order to address the digital literacy gap between refugees and the general population, Wichita State University and the University of Texas San Antonio will recruit refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (N = 94) this year and from Afghanistan (N = 94) next year for digital literacy workshops in a partnership with Wichita Public Libraries and with the International Rescue Committee. This phase of a larger NSF EAGER project has a series of goals, the first being to assess English proficiency in these communities, the second being to assess digital skills and attitudes, and the last being to understand whether educational intervention helps participants identify cybersecurity threats, specifically vishing and phishing. Through three workshop sessions, each having 25 participants divided based on the LEAP-Q English proficiency test, researchers plan to educate these vulnerable populations on digital literacy, additionally using evaluative checkpoints including measurable qualitative and quantitative data taken from pre-tests (such as a modified SA-6 Scale), post-tests, and mid-workshop activities to inform change in attitude and digital ability.