Development of the cybersecurity scale (CS-S): Evidence of validity and reliability

Cybersecurity will be one of the main challenges in the age of Internet of Things (IoT) or cyber-physical systems. Cyber-attacks are a growing risk not only organizations but also individuals. Anyone should be aware of cybersecurity risks, and thereby, ready for cyberattacks by proactive actions. This study aimed to develop Cyber Security Scale (CS-S) based on the Parkerian Hexad model and test its psychometric properties. Sample of the study consisted of 993 undergraduate students studying at Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University. The first study (239 women, 141 men) consisted of 380 participants. The first study tested the scale by conducting an explanatory factor analysis (EFA). The EFA results a six-factor structure and Cronbach alpha internal consistency of the total scales was found as .88. The second study (325 women, 288 men) consists of 613 participants in total. The second study conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to investigate whether the six-factor model (i.e., availability, authenticity, confidentiality, control/possession, integrity, and utility) has a good fit with the data or not. The CFA results indicated that the CS-S has convergent and, discriminant validity along with construct validity. As a result of this thesis study, a valid and reliable scale was developed to measure individuals' cybersecurity practices and perceptions. Keywords: Cyber Security, Cyber Security Scale, CS-S, Scale Development