Cybersecurity mindset and upskilling: Resilience via lifelong learning and security education

South African Journal of Information Management

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Cybersecurity mindset and upskilling: Resilience via lifelong learning and security education
 
Creator Sandi, Siyabulela van den Berg, Carolien L.
 
Subject Information Systems; Education cyber-crime; cybersecurity; cybersecurity mindset; cyber-attack; cyber threat; lifelong learning; upskilling
Description Background: Cyber-crime has escalated globally, posing significant risks to individuals, organisations and governments. Traditional security approaches are no longer sufficient to address evolving threats, highlighting the need for a cybersecurity mindset grounded in education and continuous learning. This study responded to a critical gap in understanding how lifelong learning and upskilling contribute to building cyber resilience.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate how cybersecurity education and awareness initiatives foster a cybersecurity mindset and resilience among individuals and enterprises. It also examined the challenges and opportunities in enhancing collaboration between academia, industry and government to strengthen cybersecurity education.Method: A systematic literature review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, analysing 46 peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2024. The review focused on educational strategies, awareness initiatives and collaboration models that support cybersecurity resilience.Results: The review revealed that continuous education, when embedded in formal, informal and professional learning contexts, significantly strengthens cybersecurity awareness and behavioural change. A proactive, multidisciplinary approach and collaboration across sectors were consistently emphasised as vital for sustained impact.Conclusion: Cybersecurity resilience is not solely a technological issue but a cultural and educational imperative. Embedding cybersecurity mindset development in national education strategies and organisational training programmes is essential to keeping pace with emerging threats.Contribution: This study contributes a consolidated understanding of how cybersecurity education and lifelong learning foster digital resilience. It offers practical insights for policymakers, educators and industry leaders seeking to align training with the evolving cyber threat landscape.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2025-09-23
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajim.v27i1.2044
 
Source South African Journal of Information Management; Vol 27, No 1 (2025); 12 pages 1560-683X 2078-1865
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/2044/3336 https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/2044/3338 https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/2044/3340 https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/2044/3341
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2025 Siyabulela Sandi, Carolien L. van den Berg https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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