EMERGING CYBERCRIME THREATS AND THE ROLE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION IN PROMOTING NATIONAL SECURITY IN NIGERIA

Cybercrime is becoming more sophisticated and a major threat to the national security and thus the development of sustainable preventing strategies other than technological and legal measures is essential. This study focused on the emerging threats of cybercrime and the need for science education for national security in Nigeria. In particular, the study sought to appreciate the major cybercrime challenges facing Nigeria, evaluate the role of science education on students' cybersecurity literacy, and assess the link between science education, cybersecurity literacy and national security awareness. The descriptive survey research design was used. The study was carried out in the science education system in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), the FCT of the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, on a sample of 500 respondents comprising of 100 science teachers and 400 science students of 5 senior secondary schools (S.S.II) in the area, with the sample selected using multistage sampling techniques. The researcher developed instrument titled Cybersecurity Literacy, Science Education and National Security Questionnaire (CLSENQ) was used for the data collection. It was expert validated by Science Education experts, Educational Technology experts and Measurement and Evaluation experts and was found to be reliable with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .89. The data obtained were subjected to analyses to answer the research questions where mean and standard deviation were used and testing of the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance, using Pearson Product-Moment (PPM) correlation analysis and multiple regression analyses. The results showed that AI-powered phishing, identity theft, ransomware, and deep fake technologies were seen as emerging cyber threats that pose a large threat to the national security. The study also found that science education had a significant positive impact on the digital literacy of literacy and cybersecurity of the students. Respondents, however, said there was a lack of integration of cyber security ideas in the science curriculum and lack of professional development opportunities for science teachers. Further, the study confirmed that both science education and cyber security education had a substantial positive effect on national security awareness. The study concludes that digital citizenship is improved by cybersecurity education integrated into the science education curriculum and digital citizens can help national security. It calls for the integration of Cyber Security Education into science curriculum, constant capacity building of science teachers and increased partnership between educational institutions, government bodies and Cyber Security stakeholders in Nigeria towards the growth of a Cyber resilient nation.