EFFECT OF CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING ON PHISHING ATTACK SUSCEPTABILITY AMONG EMPLOYEES IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examines Effect of Cybersecurity Awareness Training on Phishing Attack Susceptibility Among Employees’ in Benue State. This study employed a quantitative cross-sectional research design to examine factors influencing employees’ susceptibility to phishing attacks in three selected banks Union Bank, Ecobank, and Zenith Bank in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. The population consisted of 129 employees across various job categories, and a census sampling technique was used to include all staff. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered via personal visits, supported by follow-up interviews. The instrument’s validity was confirmed using content and construct validation, including factor analysis with Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO = 0.856) and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity (p = 0.029), while reliability was established with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.792 to 0.880. Logit regression analysis was used to test the relationships between phishing susceptibility and four predictors: frequency of cybersecurity awareness training (FCT), knowledge of phishing indicators (KPH), simulated phishing exercise exposure (SPE), and adherence to cybersecurity best practices (ACP). Results showed that KPH (B = -1.575, p = 0.020, Exp(B) = 4.828) and ACP (B = 1.652, p = 0.000, Exp(B) = 5.216) significantly reduced phishing susceptibility, while FCT (B = -0.051, p = 0.802) and SPE (B = -0.010, p = 0.950) were not significant. The study concludes that enhancing employees’ knowledge of phishing indicators and promoting adherence to cybersecurity best practices are the most effective strategies for reducing phishing vulnerability. Recommendations include improving the quality of training, integrating feedback into simulations, and fostering disciplined compliance with organizational cybersecurity guidelines to strengthen overall organizational resilience.