Assessing Students’ Responses to Virus Risks in BYOD Environments: A Protection Motivation Theory Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53840/e-jpi.v13i2.427Abstract
The increasing use of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in educational institutions has introduced cybersecurity risks, particularly virus infections that may compromise personal devices and threaten institutional networks. As students increasingly rely on personal devices for academic activities, understanding the factors that influence their responses to virus threats is essential for developing effective cybersecurity strategies within BYOD environments. Therefore, this research examines the factors influencing students’ security intention and protective behaviour toward virus threats using the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) framework. A quantitative research approach was employed, and data were collected from 200 undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) using an online questionnaire. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS. The findings revealed that perceived vulnerability, response efficacy, and self-efficacy significantly influenced security intention, whereas perceived severity and response cost were not significant predictors. In addition, security intention was found to have a significant positive influence on protective behaviour. These findings provide insights for educational institutions in developing more effective cybersecurity awareness initiatives and BYOD security policies.
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