CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS IN KAZAKHSTAN: INVESTIGATING PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND POLICY GAPS

Abstract

There is a growing significance of cybersecurity worldwide, including in Kazakhstan. Increased internet usage in this country has been accompanied by a rise in cyber attacks. For instance, according to the JSC State Technical Service, more than 41,000 incidents of cybersecurity have been recorded in 2024, including network worms, Trojans and viruses. This paper highlights a concerning lack of cybersecurity awareness among the population, citing the fact that human error and negligence accounted for 80% of all cyber breaches. To address these issues, the research aims to answer three key questions: the extent of cybersecurity awareness among Kazakh citizens, the factors influencing this awareness, and the government's policies to improve cybersecurity awareness. A limited amount of literature that studies on cybersecurity awareness in Kazakhstan have hindered the investigation in these areas. To fill this gap, this paper will employ a mixed methods approach, utilizing interviews to examine government policies and questionnaires to assess citizen awareness as well as factors affecting it. It also aims to provide insights that could help the Kazakh government, specifically the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry, and the National Security Committee, improve cybersecurity policies and protect citizens from cyber threats.