PHISHING AWARENESS AND DETECTION ABILITY AMONG SOCIAL MEDIA USERS

Abstract

Phishing attacks are among the most common and damaging cybersecurity threats in today’s digital world, and they continue to grow more sophisticated with every passing year. Unlike technical attacks that target system vulnerabilities, phishing works by manipulating human behavior, making awareness and education the most important line of defense. University students, especially those studying computing and technology, are a particularly important group to study because they are highly active online and will soon enter professional roles where cybersecurity decisions carry real consequences. This study examines phishing awareness, detection ability, and behavioral protection practices among undergraduate and graduate students in Pakistan, a context that has received very little attention in existing cybersecurity research. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire covering phishing awareness, detection ability, real-world scenarios, and behavioral practices. The findings indicate that students generally demonstrate a reasonable level of awareness of phishing threats and express confidence in their ability to detect them; however, their actual protective behaviours in daily online activity remain inconsistent and do not always align with their level of knowledge. Scenariobased responses further highlight that socially framed attacks and URL manipulation techniques can still mislead users. The study concludes that practical, scenario-based training and hands-on tool demonstrations are essential to bridge the gap between phishing awareness and effective protective behavior among Pakistani university students.

Keywords- Phishing Awareness, Cybersecurity Education, Social Media Security, Detection Ability, Behavioral Protection Practices