An Overview of Cyber-Security Awareness In Saudi Arabia: The Threat Today and the Expected Future

Abstract

In 2012, the official King Saud University’s website was hacked and database of 812 usersexposed including mobile phones, mail address and passwords. In 2013, several Saudi Arabiagovernment websites were hacked in a series of sabotage cyber-attacks briefly disabling thembefore the threats were repelled. On 15th August 2012, a self-replicating virus attacked over30000 Windows OS based personal computers belonging to Saudi Aramco deleting data andinformation. It took two weeks and unfathomable losses to restore the data. Multiple researchfindings, articles and academic papers document cyber-attacks threatening security across theworld. Both the government and private enterprises are targets of cyber-attacks. The threats aremore pronounced with increased reliance on information technology and heightened egovernmentpedagogy. Following recent cyber-attacks, this paper digs deep to review theforms of cyber-attacks, the private and publics’ awareness of cyber-security threats, potentialimpacts of cyber-attacks, measures enacted to fight cyber-attack and recommendations to helpraise awareness. Data gathered will be analyzed using SPSS 2.0 software and presented intables, pie charts and graphs. The researcher will calculate standard deviation, percentages. Theresearcher envisages that at the end of the survey, the paper will document an indispensableroadmap for policy makers in Saudi Arabia in designing measures to mitigate future cyberattacksto both the private and public in the kingdom.