Investors' Awareness of Cyber Security Risk and its Impact on the Intention to Invest: A Cross-Sectional Study on Investors from Palestine
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2025-04-17
Authors
Mohammad Najeh Hisham Zuhud
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
An-Najah National University
Abstract
This cross-sectional investigation aims to ascertain the degree of Investors' Awareness regarding Cyber Security Risks and its subsequent Influence on Investment Intentions. The research is centered on evaluating the determinants that affect investors' intentions to engage in investment activities within a risk-oriented framework by scrutinizing the level of awareness among investors concerning cybersecurity threats that confront Palestinian enterprises, assessing the repercussions of this awareness on their investment intentions, and examining the moderating function of trust in the correlation between cybersecurity awareness and investment intention. To achieve the study's objectives, descriptive statistics and reliability analysis were employed in this study to ensure a thorough exploration of the data, reveal patterns and trends, test hypotheses, and derive valid conclusions with practical applications. The research population was confined to investors originating from Palestine. The G*POWER software was employed to ascertain the study sample due to the challenges associated with quantifying the population of Palestinian investors, alongside the absence of precise statistics reflecting their numbers. The G*POWER software application was employed, given that the investigator was constrained in their ability to restrict the study population. According to the outcomes generated by the software, in conjunction with the statistical data and the quantity of variables under examination, the research sample comprised 109 Palestinian investors. In order to enhance the precision of the data collected, a total of 382 questionnaires were disseminated, with 260 being returned as valid for subsequent analysis. The researcher used the purposive approach in distributing the questionnaires. To achieve the study's objectives and analyze its hypotheses, this study used a questionnaire consisting of 36 items, as well as eight expressions that measure demographic variables. SMARTPLS 4 and SPSS software were used. The findings revealed that investing intentions in Palestine are strongly influenced by subjective norms, Attitude, risk, cybersecurity awareness, financial knowledge, and trust, with financial culture being crucial in boosting confidence and decision-making. While trust mediates the association between information quality and investment intention, Attitude mediates the relationship between risk-taking, cybersecurity awareness, and financial knowledge. Yet, neither financial self-efficacy nor trust mediates the associations between investment intention and risk-taking and subjective norms, nor does it mediate the relationship between cybersecurity awareness and investment intention. The study emphasizes the importance of fostering a strong investment culture in Palestine by addressing gaps in financial literacy, subjective norms, and self-efficacy. Key recommendations include implementing targeted financial education initiatives, awareness campaigns, and mentorship programs to enhance confidence in financial decision-making. Additionally, tools and resources tailored to the Palestinian market, transparent information on investment opportunities, and the establishment of community investment groups are suggested to mitigate challenges like market volatility and governance issues. Collaborative efforts with financial institutions and policy measures aimed at improving financial efficiency are also advocated to create an environment conducive to informed and confident investment decisions.