STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF ETHICAL HACKING AND CYBER DEFENSE: A SURVEY BASED QUANTITATIVE STUDY

Context: As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, the integration of ethical hacking and cyber defense into computing curricula has become a strategic necessity. This study explores the intersection of ethical hacking knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral compliance among computing students in Pakistan, a region experiencing rapid digitalization alongside escalating cybersecurity challenges. Methodology: Employing a quantitative cross-sectional design, the research surveyed 69 students across various computing disciplines at a public university. The study utilized a structured instrument to assess four core dimensions: ethical hacking knowledge, attitudes toward ethical practices, cyber defense competency, and security behavior compliance. Data were analyzed to identify demographic influences and to test the mediating role of knowledge within the Knowledge–Attitude–Behavior (KAB) framework. Findings: The results indicate that students generally possess a moderate to high level of proficiency and positive orientation across all measured dimensions. A critical differentiator in ethical hacking knowledge was prior practical experience, which significantly outperformed academic seniority as a predictor of competence. While gender did not influence technical knowledge, it played a notable role in security behavior compliance. Furthermore, although academic year progression did not yield substantial differences in technical knowledge, graduate-level students exhibited significantly more favorable attitudes toward ethical hacking. Crucially, mediation analysis confirmed that the relationship between prior experience and positive ethical attitudes is fully facilitated by the acquisition of specialized knowledge. Conclusion: The study validates the KAB model in a specialized educational context, demonstrating that knowledge acts as the essential bridge between experience and ethical disposition. These findings suggest that higher education institutions should pivot from purely theoretical instruction toward experiential learning and hands-on cybersecurity exposure. By fostering practical engagement, educators can more effectively cultivate the technical competency and ethical mindsets required to bolster national cyber defense capabilities.