Assessment of Cybersecurity Awareness Among Secondary School Teachers in Taraba State

Secondary school teachers increasingly use digital platforms for lesson preparation, communication, and result reporting, and their cybersecurity awareness determines whether school systems are adequately protected against cyber threats in Taraba State's expanding digital environment. This study assessed the cybersecurity awareness of secondary school teachers in Jalingo and Wukari Local Government Areas, Taraba State, North East Nigeria. A descriptive survey was conducted among 200 secondary school teachers using stratified random sampling. The Cybersecurity Awareness Scale assessed email security, device protection, password practices, safe internet use, and social engineering recognition. Results showed a mean awareness score of 47.3 out of 100, indicating low-to-moderate awareness. Email safety was the weakest domain (mean 38.4), with 63.5 percent unable to identify a phishing email correctly. Device encryption was enabled by only 27.0 percent. Safe internet browsing practices were adequate in 55.5 percent. Social engineering recognition was moderately adequate in 48.0 percent. Teachers with personal laptops showed significantly higher awareness than those without (p < 0.05). Computer Studies teachers scored significantly higher than teachers of other subjects. Only 12.0 percent had received any cybersecurity training. The study concludes that cybersecurity awareness among Taraba State secondary teachers is inadequate and recommends a teacher digital safety orientation programme, annual refresher training coordinated by the state SUBEB, and integration of cybersecurity awareness into teacher professional development calendars. Keywords: cybersecurity awareness, secondary school teachers, Taraba State, digital safety, teacher training