UDC 37.016:004.056:004.8

An D.S.¹ (Khabarovsk, Russian Federation) – 013637@togudv.ru; Fedoreev A.V.¹ (Khabarovsk, Russian Federation) – 2019104080@togudv.ru

¹Pacific National University

Abstract. The article addresses the problem of developing students’ cyber hygiene in the context of increasingly complex digital threats related to artificial intelligence, phishing attacks, deepfakes, cloud storage and the use of biometric data. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that modern users often possess separate fragments of knowledge about digital security, but do not always apply them as a coherent system of protective behaviour in real situations. This problem is especially significant in the educational environment, where students actively use e-mail, messengers, social networks, cloud services, educational platforms and mobile applications, but do not always understand the complex nature of the risks involved. The purpose of the study is to assess students’ readiness to recognize modern digital threats and to identify deficits that hinder the formation of sustainable cyber hygiene. The methodology includes a theoretical analysis of research sources on digital literacy, cybersecurity behaviour and cyber hygiene education, as well as practical testing of 83 respondents. The test covered five areas: recognition of artificial intelligence-based attacks, response to real-time threats, basic cloud security, understanding of biometric data risks and knowledge of personal cyber hygiene rules. The novelty of the study lies in considering cyber hygiene not as a set of separate rules, but as a system of interrelated knowledge, behavioural habits and procedural algorithms that students need for safe interaction with the digital environment. The results show that students are relatively successful in recognizing individual threats, such as voice deepfakes and disguised malicious files, but experience difficulties when choosing a set of protective measures. The most significant deficits are related to cloud security, biometric data protection and incident response procedures. The materials of the study can be used in courses on computer science, information security and digital literacy, as well as in the development of checklists, reminders and situational training tasks for students.

Keywords: cyber hygiene, digital literacy, cybersecurity, students, artificial intelligence, phishing, deepfakes, biometric data, cloud security, situational learning.

References:

1. Boronenko, T. A., Kaysina, A. V., & Fedotova, V. S. (2021). Characteristics and level assessment of schoolchildren’s digital literacy. Perspectives of Science and Education, 2(50), 256–277. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.32744/pse.2021.2.18
2. Mukhametzyanov, I. Sh. (2024). Information literacy as the basis of a student’s information culture in the context of information interaction: Structure, content, assessment. Domestic and Foreign Pedagogy, 1(3), 144–157. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.24412/2224-0772-2024-99-144-157
3. Ushkin, S. G., Koval, E. A., & Martynova, M. D. (2025). Teenagers’ digital security: Sociological analysis. Integration of Education, 29(1), 114–131. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.15507/1991-9468.029.202501.114-131
4. Rudenkin, D. V. (2022). The level of development of digital hygiene skills among modern Russian youth: Results of a sociological study. Sociodynamics, 1, 36–55. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.25136/2409-7144.2022.1.37487
5. Baraković, S., & Baraković Husić, J. (2023). Cyber hygiene knowledge, awareness, and behavioral practices of university students. Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective, 32(5), 347–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/19393555.2022.2088428
6. Neigel, A. R., Claypoole, V. L., Waldfogle, G. E., Acharya, S., & Hancock, G. M. (2020). Holistic cyber hygiene education: Accounting for the human factors. Computers & Security, 92, 101731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cose.2020.101731
7. Bognár, L., & Bottyán, L. (2024). Evaluating online security behavior: Development and validation of a personal cybersecurity awareness scale for university students. Education Sciences, 14(6), 588. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060588
8. Armas, R., & Taherdoost, H. (2025). Building a cybersecurity culture in higher education: Proposing a cybersecurity awareness paradigm. Information, 16(5), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/info16050336
9. Manganello, F., Earp, J., Fante, C., Bassi, G., Fabbri, S., Matteucci, I., Vaccarelli, A., Olesen, N., de Vibraye, A., Callaghan, P., & Gentile, M. (2024). Shaping the foundation of the SuperCyberKids Learning Framework: A comprehensive analysis of cybersecurity education initiatives. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1375853. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1375853
10. Ahmead, M., El Sharif, N., & Abuiram, I. (2024). Risky online behaviors and cybercrime awareness among undergraduate students at Al Quds University: A cross sectional study. Crime Science, 13, 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-024-00230-w
11. Zempila, G., & Xinogalos, S. (2025). Investigating the role of serious games on raising students’ awareness on safety and data protection on the Internet. Discover Education, 4, 268. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00722-0
12. Jabir, R., Le, J., & Nguyen, C. (2025). Phishing attacks in the age of generative artificial intelligence: A systematic review of human factors. AI, 6(8), 174. https://doi.org/10.3390/ai6080174
13. Roe, J., Perkins, M., & Furze, L. (2024). Deepfakes and higher education: A research agenda and scoping review of synthetic media. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 21(10). https://doi.org/10.53761/2y2np178
14. Gonzaga, K., Serra, S., Gomes, M., & Malta, S. (2026). AI-powered social engineering: Emerging attack vectors, vulnerabilities, and multi-layered defense strategies. Computers, 15(2), 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers15020128
15. Chahid, A., El Marzak, Y., & Mansouri, K. (2026). Developing a cybersecurity awareness framework to safeguard Moroccan students from social media threats. Frontiers in Education, 11, 1719173. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1719173
16. Pattnaik, N., Li, S., & Nurse, J. R. C. (2023). A survey of user perspectives on security and privacy in a home networking environment. ACM Computing Surveys, 55(9), 180, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1145/3558095

For citation: An, D. S., & Fedoreev, A. V. (2026). Cyber hygiene of students: assessing readiness for modern digital threats. CITISE, 2, 776–790. (In Russian).