Analysis of information security among Hungarian technical higher education students

The primary objective of this research is to delve into the password habits of newly enrolled freshmen specializing in mechanical engineering and safety technology. Our overarching goal is to assess the level of information security awareness among these students immediately following their completion of secondary grammar school. To achieve this, we administered a questionnaire focused on information security awareness during the students’ first week at the university. Specifically, we aimed to gain insights into the length and complexity of the passwords they employ for vital systems, such as email and social media platforms. It is a well-recognized fact that longer passwords generally offer superior security compared to shorter ones.Another pivotal facet of our investigation revolved around the intricacy of the passwords in use. Did these passwords comprise solely lowercase letters, or did they encompass uppercase letters, numbers, or special characters like “;” or “,”? Moreover, we sought to delve deeper into the students’ password practices, including how frequently they alter their passwords and whether they adopt the same password for multiple systems. Employing identical passwords across various systems can pose substantial risks, as a breach on one platform could potentially expose other systems used by the students to unauthorized access.It is noteworthy that students pursuing safety technology engineering degrees are anticipated to receive more extensive education in information security throughout their university tenure compared to their mechanical engineering peers. Consequently, our initial hypothesis posited that safety engineering students would exhibit superior password habits. However, subsequent statistical analysis revealed no significant correlation between the choice of faculty and the password habits of incoming students.Nevertheless, the results did highlight alterations in how students store their passwords, albeit no other substantial changes were detected in the numerous facets we scrutinized. To foster more secure password practices among students, it becomes evident that alternative pedagogical methods need to be explored and implemented. This could entail incorporating specialized information security training modules or workshops into the curriculum to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for maintaining robust password security practices in an increasingly digital world.