Public Awareness, Trust and Perception of Cybersecurity Development in Saudi Digital Governance: A Quantitative Study under Vision 2030 Framework

Abstract

Despite extensive digital transformation efforts, Saudi Arabia faces cybersecurity threats, which highlights the need for increased public cybersecurity resilience. This study addresses an important gap in understanding public awareness, trust and perception regarding cybersecurity within Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 digital governance initiatives. The primary aim was to analyse the levels of public awareness, trust and perception of cybersecurity practices among Saudi citizens. By employing Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), complemented by literature on institutional trust and digital literacy, this research adopted a positivist, quantitative approach. An online survey of 96 respondents was conducted, analysed through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, regression analyses, and independent-sample t-tests. Findings demonstrated formal education significantly improves cybersecurity awareness, whereas technical understanding of cyber threats and risks among citizens alone does not increase further learning motivation. Trust in institutions strongly predicts perceived cybersecurity protection, with notable disparities based on gender and employment sector. Clear government communication strengthens trust, but macro-level cybersecurity threats fail to improve individual data protection confidence. Key recommendations include targeted cybersecurity education programmes for less-educated groups, gender-sensitive cybersecurity initiatives addressing specific threats faced by Saudi women, and personalised, actionable governmental cybersecurity communication.