CO-DESIGNING A CYBERSECURITY PRACTICES FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSERVED RURAL COMMUNITIES

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dc.contributor.authorNhinda, Gabriel Tuhafeni
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-15T11:35:17Z
dc.date.available2025-07-15T11:35:17Z
dc.date.issued2024-06-30
dc.description.abstractThe increasing ubiquity of digital technologies and the Internet has resulted in societies becoming heavily dependent on them for communication, healthcare, education, business operations, and social interaction. While digital transformation promises many benefits, it also presents significant challenges, particularly in ensuring safe and secure online participation. Cybersecurity, as a critical enabler of digital trust, is essential for inclusive and resilient digital societies. However, in underserved rural communities, especially in the Global South, cybersecurity practices remain largely unfamiliar due to limited telecommunications infrastructure, socio-economic inequality, and low digital literacy. This study addresses this gap by co-designing a cybersecurity practices framework with and for underserved rural communities. Rooted in a multidisciplinary approach, the research integrates elements of human-computer interaction (HCI), community engagement, and behavioural insights. A qualitative methodology was employed, using co-design sessions, focus group discussions, and interviews, to understand community-specific perceptions and practices of cybersecurity. The study draws on indigenous philosophies of Ubuntu and Uushiindaism to contextualise security as a communal, ethical, and relational construct. The framework was evaluated through a two-pronged process: expert focus groups (ex-post) and community-based co-design sessions (exante and ex-post). Evaluation centred on ecological utility—ensuring contextual relevance, cultural fidelity, sustainability, comprehensibility, and local ownership. The study further maps key actors and relationships influencing cybersecurity practices in rural contexts, including interactions with national agencies, community policing units, local radio, and ministries responsible for awareness and legislation. This research contributes to a more inclusive understanding of cybersecurity by recognising the socio-cultural dynamics that shape digital safety in underserved communities. It bridges the gap between globally dominant cybersecurity paradigms and the lived realities of rural African users. The framework empowers communities to engage confidently with technology, facilitates digital access to essential services, promotes skills transfer through seasonal resident engagement, and supports the preservation of indigenous languages. For policymakers, developers, and educators, it offers actionable insights into designing secure, contextually appropriate technologies for the margins while ensuring broader applicability across user groups.
dc.identifier.citationNhunda, G.T. (2024]. Co-Designing A Cybersecurity Practices Framework for Underserved Rural Communities [Doctoral Thesis, Namibia University of Science and Technology].
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10628/1067
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherNamibia University of Science and Technology
dc.subjectCo-design
dc.subjectcybersecurity practices
dc.subjectunderserved rural communities
dc.subjectcommunity engagement
dc.subjectafro-centric
dc.titleCO-DESIGNING A CYBERSECURITY PRACTICES FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSERVED RURAL COMMUNITIES
dc.typeThesis

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