William Beiser
9/27/2025
Article Review #1
The International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime (IJCIC) plays a
crucial role in the field of social sciences by examining how human behavior, institutions, and
societal structures interact with digital threats (IJCIC, n.d.). Rather than limiting the study to
technical vulnerabilities alone, the research examines how individual perceptions, cultural
backgrounds, demographic factors, and power relations influence risk, resilience, and harm in
cyberspace. In this way, the studies in the IJCIC article focus on sociology, criminology,
psychology, and political science to understand not just what cybercrimes occur, but who is
vulnerable, why, and how social contexts either amplify or mitigate those vulnerabilities (IJCIC,
n.d.).
An example of this social science approach is the IJCIC article that explores phishing,
social engineering, and identity theft. In the study, researchers define independent variables, such
as scam type (generic vs. phishing), awareness or education condition, and demographic
attributes (low-level vs high-level). The dependent variable is typically some measure of
susceptibility, like clicking on fraudulent email links or disclosing personal information. Testing
of hypotheses occurs through different methods. Behavioral experiments or field observations
paired with self-report surveys, followed by statistical models (for example, generalized linear
models), are used to assess which independent variables significantly predict the dependent
variables, controlling for potential confounders (IJCIC, n.d.)
Marginalized groups are a central focus of this research. International students, first-year
students, nonnative speakers, or those with limited prior digital literacy often emerge as more
vulnerable. We discussed this in a previous class, where specific demographics, such as older
people, are more likely to be susceptible to attacks and scams.
Overall, the contributions of studies like IJCIC to society are helpful. They inform policy
and best practices in higher education, such as designing orientation programs or training
modules that specifically target at-risk populations. They can clarify which sociocultural or
demographic variables reliably predict risk. Finally, they help shift the talking points. Viewing
cybersecurity not solely as a technical or individual issue, but as deeply related to social
inequality and responsibility. In this way, the research helps build safer, more inclusive digital
spaces for people from all demographics.
References
International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime [IJCIC]. (n.d.). Home.
Bridgewater State University. Retrieved from https://vc.bridgew.edu/ijcic/