Digital Challenges: The Context of Cybercrime

The Case Study presented to the Research Committee

of the Institute of Criminal Justice Education
ACES Polytechnic College, Inc.

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the

Degree of Bachelor of Science
in Criminology

Mark Bryan M. Castañeda

Bienvenido P. Liagoso Jr.
Charlie S. Cañete
Arnel E. Casalta
Kenth F. Dasok

January 2024
Chapter 1

Introduction

In this generation, people use technology as part of their daily lives. As

we use technology, it has a huge impact, especially on young people who

spend most of their time browsing the internet. Nowadays, technology has

become the source of news and communication with people. Technology is

growing gradually around the world. Also, it has become a way to facilitate

business with other countries or people. Cybercrimes have significantly

increased as a result of the improvement of technology. However, the more

profound cultural, social, and psychological changes brought about by

globalization are the source of these intentions and opportunities (Pasculli,

2020).

According to Curtis & Oxburgh (2023), studies from the UK government

indicate that victims of cybercrime thought the police had the means to deal

with these offenses. They proved less likely to report crimes right away. These

reports also highlight issues with policing, like a lack of awareness of

cybercrime, by describing the technological, personal, social, and

environmental settings that encourage cybercrime and how this knowledge

may direct approaches to address current challenges in research (Curtis &

Oxburgh, 2022). Research is necessary to examine the scope of cybercrime;

research can also suggest improvements that can be made in investigating

cybercrime and training law enforcement personnel.

Furthermore, cybercrime extends beyond the technical and international

scope and involves perpetrators who plan their attacks specifically to take

advantage of any vulnerabilities in the transnational nature of the

infrastructure. The information infrastructure is becoming increasingly

important to governments, businesses, and the general public for carrying out

transactions, sending messages, and processing data. This puts the

infrastructure at risk. One non-violent crime that is expanding the fastest in the

Asian region is cybercrime. Solving such problems requires a lot of technical

know-how as well as international collaboration. Depending on how much

legislation each nation has enacted, this crime has differing effects on different

nations. To completely handle cyber threats, the Philippines must pass new

laws or change current ones as the country's technological and electronic

landscapes change (Sosa, 2009).

Moreover, the last few years have seen an increase in cybercrime,

which has a significant negative influence on people's lives, particularly those

of the community's growing youth. The purpose of this study was to discover

the degree of cybercrime awareness among Misamis University senior high

school students. The study's conclusions showed that respondents'

awareness of cybercrime, particularly as it related to identity theft,

cyberbullying, and cyberpornography, was very aware. As a result, the

responders are knowledgeable enough to avoid falling victim to cybercrime or

engaging in it themselves at all costs. On the other hand, circumstances may

appear unexpectedly which is why we must be vigilant at all times to give

guidance, safety, and security whenever they need it hence they have a good

understanding of some types of cybercrime, such as cyberbullying, hacking,

and phishing, but they have a limited understanding of other types, such as

identity theft and online scams (Toso et al., 2023).

In Aces Polytechnic College Inc. The school administrator take initiative

to help the students involved on cybercrime. The researchers observed that

despite of this initiative, the students who have involved on cybercrime

encountered various constrains such as mental and emotional struggles, lack

of awareness on using technology.

With the literature presented on the status on digital challenges, the

researcher felt it necessary to examine the lived experiences of students on

cybercrime in Aces Polytechnic College Inc. The researcher may come across

pertinent studies in realize that further studies should be conducted with a

greater focus on the multiple issues faced by the students in Aces Polytechnic

College Inc. As a result, the researcher was motivated to research more into

the digital challenges in the context of cybercrime experienced by students.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to understand the perspective and

experiences of students about cybercrime. The study aims to give knowledge

and awareness of those digital users. However, occasionally cybercrime aims

to damage computers or networks for reason other than profit. These could be

political or personal. Cybercrime can be carried out by individuals or

organization. This research will make constant progress possible or even give

us vic tory in the fight against cybercrime. It will also inculcate advanced and

inductive thinking and it promotes the development of security consciousness

in organization.

Studying digital challenges in the context of cybercrime serves to

understand and address the evolving landscape of online threats. It helps

identify weaknesses, assess the impact of cybercrime on individuals and

organizations, and develop strategies to enhance digital security. It also helps

to know the effect in the life of students who have already experienced

cybercrime, especially in their academic performance. People nowadays are

engaged in technology and social media, just like on Facebook, Instagram,

Twitter, etc. Those accounts where people tend to give their personal

information would become easy targets for cybercrime. This study will indicate

the cause of a person's cybercrime.

This study gathers the experiences of students who have encountered

cybercrime can raise awareness among other students, parents, and

educators about the potential risks and consequences. This awareness can

help adoptive a culture of cybersecurity and encourage individuals to take

necessary precautions to protect themselves online. By studying the

experiences of students who have been victims of cybercrime, researchers

can gain insights into the real-life effects of these crimes. This understanding

helps in developing effective preventive measures and support systems to

mitigate the impact of cybercrime on individuals.

This case study result will benefit Law Enforcement Agencies, School

Administrators, Future Law Enforcer, Future Researchers, Digital users and

Future Researchers.

Law Enforcement Agencies. The government officials who focus on

this industry may use the result of this study to formulate guidelines to aid the

cybercrime and it may also serve as a tool to address the need of digital users

not just in Panabo City.

School Administrators. The School Administrators may also benefit

from researchers, on how to protect the students and to handle those students

that involved in cybercrime.

Future Law Enforcers. This study may be beneficial to future law

enforcers as the result of this study equips future law enforcers with the

knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to combat cyber threats effectively and

safeguard individuals and organizations in the digital age.

Digital Users. The Digital Users may also benefit from researchers, as

the researchers provide knowledge and prevention measures that can be

used to educate the users on how to use technology properly.

Future Researchers. This study may be beneficial to future researcher

to discover reliable information about the digital challenges as a basis to

pursue significant parallel research on cybercrime in the future.

Research Questions

This study aims to understand the perspective and experiences of

digital challenges the context of cybercrime. The following are the objectives

of the study:

1. What are perceptions of the students towards cybercrime?

2. How do students cope with the cybercrime related issues?

3. What are the insights can be drawn from the perception of the students

on cybercrime?
Theoretical Lens

This study is viewed through the lens of Routine Activity Theory

developed by Felson and Cohen (1979) explained that there are three crucial

components of RAT are motivated offender, suitable targets, and absence of

capable guardians (Boetig, 2006). Routine activity theory focuses upon

“exploring the convergence of the crucial components of crime at specific

locations in space and time without regard to the motivation of the deviant act

(Boetig, 2006, p. 12). The theory shifts focus away from the criminal and is

redirected toward the criminal act. The RAT evolved out of a need to

compensate for the shortcomings in existing crime models that could not

explain the crime rate trends since the end of World War II.

The Routine Activity Theory will be used in this study to understand the

perspective and experiences of students about cybercrime and discover the

innovative strategies that can be used to prevent this type of crime, as well as

explain why do students involved in cybercrime and to know the motivations

behind these illegal activities. By understanding the convergence of motivated

offenders, suitable targets, and the absence of capable guardians, strategies

can be developed to disrupt the routine activities that facilitate cybercrime and

create a safer digital environment.

Also, this study is anchored to general theory of crime developed by

Hirschi and Gottfredson (1990). Which characterized crime as "acts of force or

fraud undertaken in pursuit of self-interest." They conjectured that a child's

level of self-control, which is greatly influenced by child-rearing practices,

stabilizes by the time he reaches the age of eight, and that all crime can be

explained as a combination of criminal opportunity and low self-control. They

concluded that the most important factor in predicting a person's propensity to

commit crimes is parenting. Children raised in supervised homes, where

punishment is meted out for misbehavior, are more likely to resist temptations

to engage in criminal activity, whereas children raised in environments of

abuse or neglect, for example, are more likely to commit crimes. Apart from

unlawful and delinquent behaviors, Hirschi's theories were widely accepted

among American criminologists despite criticism for being, among other

things, tautological, paternalistic, and definitionally flawed. Low self-control is

reflected in tendencies to be "impulsive, insensitive, physical, risk-oriented,

shortsighted, and nonverbal."

Delimitation and Limitation of the study

The study will focus on students lived experiences in digital challenges

on the context of cybercrime. They will also share the insights gained from

their experiences.

This study will focus on 3 students in Aces Polytechnic College Inc. in

Panabo City. They are the best participants to share their experiences on

cybercrime because students are more likely to become victims because they

are the ones who often use the internet. The research will be carried out on

January 2021 up to December 2023.

The limitation of the study is that we, as researchers of this

phenomenological study, will only be able explain some of the digital

challenges encountered by the participants in the context of cybercrime. This

is because we are only basing our questions we asked during interview and

group discussion.
Another area for improvement in this study is the data collection

process. The data will be restricted to the recorded interview, focusing only on

3 students in Aces Polytechnic College Inc. in Panabo City. Because of small

numbers of participants, the findings of this study cannot be generalized.

Definition of Terms

To clarify and for a better understanding of the terms used in this study,

the following were conceptually defined:

Digital Challenges are problems or difficulties that arise in the digital

world or when using technology. These challenges can include things like

keeping personal information safe online, dealing with too much information,

not having access to technology or the internet, and facing cyberbullying or

harassment online.

Cybercrime refers to criminal activities that are carried out using

computers, the internet, or other digital technologies. It involves using

technology to commit illegal actions, such as hacking, identity theft, fraud,

spreading malware or viruses, and online harassment.

Literature Review

The literature review compromises information from various sources,

such as peer-reviewed articles, studies, and books on concepts related to

digital challenges the context of cybercrime.

Digital Use: The Nature of Cybercrime and Victimization

Kranenbarg and Leukfeldt (2021) stated that the increasing integration

of digital technologies into our daily lives has also resulted in the integration of

human-technology interactions into common crimes, cultural representations

of crime, and legal reactions to them. The ways that changes in digital

technologies, along with sociopolitical and sociocultural practices and

structures, are creating and perpetuating crime, justice, and inequalities in

modern society require academic research.

Sawaneh (2020) supported that all online activities, whether for

personal or public use, are hosted on the internet. Socializing, meeting new

people, conducting research, conducting online business transactions, sharing

sensitive data, communicating over the internet, being monitored by security

agencies, monitoring the weather, being used in e-healthcare systems, online

banking, online payments, e-commerce, defense systems, and a host of other

critical infrastructures are all part of this powerful online platform. Due to this,

cybercriminals have become more interested in using a wide range of

malicious tactics to breach people's privacy and profit from their data. These

harmful online activities have given rise to a new game known as "cybercrime

or internet crime," which is currently a lucrative industry.

On the other hand, Umeugo (2023) stated that since social media

began to gain influence in the early 2000s, its popularity has not decreased.

There are billions of active users on social networks like Facebook, YouTube,

Twitter, and Snapchat worldwide. Social media's ease of sharing media and

information, as well as its capacity to connect and interact with specific groups

of people, make it an essential instrument for organizations and people alike.

Because of social media's broad user base, simple of communication, and

data sharing, cybercrime may develop there. Cybercriminals use social media

to advertise their illicit activities, actively target users of social media, and use

social media to facilitate their cybercrime activities. Organizations must

implement cybercrime on social media policies to protect themselves from

potential threats and provide employees training on cybercrime awareness on

social media, or CASM, in regard to the potential risks associated with this

type of activity. With the lines between personal and business social media

use becoming increasingly blurred, CASM is crucial. Computer technology's

benefits have not come without a price. Even though computers make life so

much faster, they also put entire businesses and government operations in

danger from cybercrime, the deadliest kind of criminality. Without computers,

these operations would virtually cease to exist.

An increasing number of people are able to use and, more crucially,

depend on computers as a regular part of their lives thanks to the widespread

availability of affordable, potent, and user-friendly computers. The criminal

community grows more and more dependent on them as companies,

governments, and individuals do. Therefore, it is essential to properly analyze

their behavior and comprehend the effects that these crimes have on society

at large in order to restrict cybercrimes (Rao et al., 2020).

According to Humied (2022), the importance of the risks associated with

cybercrime makes it significant since it compromises people's right to access

information, threatens the privacy of their personal lives, endangers national

security, and decreases public trust in technology and other aspects of public

life. The difficulties in obtaining proof of cybercrime, the simplicity and speed

with which evidence and features could be erased or destroyed, and the

volume of data that needed to be analyzed on the network were the

challenges associated with cybercrime. In addition, there are challenges with

gathering evidence by search, seizure, and other methods, and many crimes
are international in scope. In addition, the most important challenges in

cybercrime were discussed, which related to the crime itself, the parties

affected by the crime, and challenges related to investigating authorities and

legislation. This paper presented recommendations to overcome those

challenges at the end. The widespread use of mobile devices and the Internet

contributed to the digitization of society, which in turn promoted the digitization

of criminal activity. On the one hand, there are new offenses like taking down

whole networks or websites, or hacking databases and computer systems that

hold personal information.

On the other hand, information and communication technology (ICT) is

becoming a more significant tool in the facilitation of some traditional forms of

crime, such as fraud committed through the use of social media and email. In

addition to raising numerous questions about the nature of victimization and

offense, the digitization of crime has implications for the whole field of

criminology and criminal justice (Holt 2019).

The primary factors have been the internet's rapid expansion and

access as well as the processes leading to the digitization of economic

activity. The persistence of cybercrime activities presents a significant risk to

e-commerce technologies and can impact the desire to transact through them.

This study examined how cybercrime and trust impact users' intention to

conduct business via e-commerce technologies in light of the rise in

cybercrime activities and the dearth of research in this area, particularly in

developing nations. An online survey was created and distributed, and 476

participants' responses were thoroughly examined using partial least square

structural equation modeling. The results indicate that trust in internet media,
attitude towards behavior, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and

cyber-crime perceptions are significant predictors of intention to purchase

using e-commerce technologies (Apau & Koranteng 2019).

Moreover, Viraja and Purandare (2021) stated that technology has

established itself into our daily lives, and as a result of its rapid advancement,

cybercrimes have increased dramatically. With the introduction of new social

media platforms, which use millions of data every second worldwide, the

consumption of information is growing daily. Sensitive information like trade

secrets, privacy, and security concerns is included in these data. Cybercrimes

affect individuals, organizations, and even entire countries, and their

frequency is rising daily. By providing a thorough examination of the

awareness, impact, and obstacles faced by everyone who is exposed to

cybercrime, the research study seeks to raise awareness about cybercrimes.

The methodology adopted to study and analyze the impact and challenges

caused due to cybercrimes is qualitative research. On a concluding note, the

study will present suggestions to overcome the challenges and talk about the

research’s future scope.

Toso et al. (2023) stated that the rise in cybercrime has had a

significant impact on people's lives, particularly those of the community's

growing youth. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of

cybercrime awareness among Misamis University senior high school students.

The descriptive design of this study is based on quantitative research. There

are 253 responders, all Misamis University senior high school students.

Random sampling was used to identify the respondents from Grades 11 and

12 from the five (5) different strands namely: General Academic Strand (GAS),
Pre-Baccalaureate Maritime, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

(STEM), Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) and Humanities and

Social Sciences (HUMMS).

The adopted questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data

regarding the students’ awareness of Cybercrime. With the rise in criminal

activity in Pakistan, various forms of crime are being considered. The most

frequent type of crime committed by internet users is cybercrime, particularly

by students who are constantly online for various reasons. This study looked

at the characteristics of cybercrime, its root causes, and its consequences for

victims. 201 students from the social sciences department at Bahauddin

Zakirya University in Multan make up the study's sample. Questionnaires and

multistage sampling were the researcher's methods for gathering data (Khan

et al., 2021).

Furthermore, Ismailova et al. (2019) explains that it is common

knowledge that a system is only as secure as its weakest link. Organizations

and nations frequently invest in technology, forgetting that information security

cannot be guaranteed without increasing user awareness. Thus, the

awareness of cybercrime among users in two countries in Central Asia was

examined in this study. Students from each nation's two public universities

were selected as the target group. While in Kyrgyzstan none of the factors

affected the rate of cybercrime awareness, respondents' age and gender do.

Students in two Central Asian countries demonstrated slightly different

information security knowledge, despite a statistically significant difference in

users' awareness of cybercrime depending on their country of residence.

According to Fakhrou et al. (2022) stated that their vulnerability and

various risks involved, these social media platforms are easy sources to

commit cybercrimes. The main purpose of this study was to test the structure

of fear of cybercrime among users of social networks. The sample consisted

of 612 university students who used social networking sites. The snowball

sampling technique was used to drive sample of the study. The study utilized

a descriptive approach. An electronic Google form comprising 15 items with a

focus on fear of crime was administered after taking students’ informed

consent. MPLUS and IBM SPSS were used to analyze data.

Moreover, Schreuders (2019) stated that cybercrime victimization is

caused by a variety of factors, including demographic characteristics.

According to earlier studies, a person's neighborhood may influence their

decision to commit cybercrime. Local area variations in cybercrime

victimization, however, have rarely been examined, despite the theoretical

significance and particular interest of law enforcement agencies and

policymakers. This research explains the relationships between the

demographics of victims of cybercrime and the characteristics of their resident

areas by using data from cybercrime incidents that were recorded over a

three-year period within one of the largest police forces in England. The victim

dataset consisted of 5,270 individuals, and the data was enhanced by the

Census. Using the classifications used by the participating police force, the

research looks at four different types of victimization resulting from

cybercrime: "other types of cybercrime," "fraud/theft/handling,"

"sexual/indecent images," and "harassment/unwanted contact.

Because of the novel characteristics of the new cyberspace, such as

unimportance, interconnectivity, uncertainty, the ability to shrink time and

space, and expansion, crimes in it create a unique victimization process and

victim category. Readers are invited to read the pages of this study against

this backdrop. This study also attempted to discover what happens to

cybercrime victims in terms of impact and reporting behavior (Jerome 2021).

In addition, Kovacs (2022) stated that because of the internet's

widespread adoption and technological advancements, the world is getting

more interconnected. Traditional means of communication that were once

commonplace, like parcel delivery, are no longer in use. The internet and

computer technology have advanced to the point where they are the main

means of communication. Nowadays, a lot of businesses, government

agencies, and individual mobile users utilize the internet. But with more people

using the internet, there are now contemporary risks because of cybercrime.

Nigeria has a 33.6% internet penetration rate and is seeing population and

internet connectivity growth. With a little over 205 million people on the planet,

the effects of cybercrime are only going to get worse. These days, Nigeria is

thought to be the birthplace of cybercrime in sub-Saharan Africa.

The current study aims to fill this knowledge gap by conducting a

bibliometric analysis of 387 Social Science Citation Index articles relevant to

cybercrime victimization from the Web of Science database from 2010 to

2020. The article's goal is to look at the research trend and distribution of

publications across five major fields: time, productive authors, prominent

sources, active institutions, and leading countries/regions. Furthermore, the

purpose of this research is to identify global collaborations and current gaps in

cybercrime victimization research. The findings revealed a clear upward trend

in the number of publications during the study period. The United States, as

well as its authors and institutions, were likely to connect widely and play a

critical role in cybercrime victimization research (Herrero et al., 2022).

Awareness/Education of Cybercrime

Currently cybercrime awareness education tends to be generic, which is

not useful for certain demographics, such as older adults, who are at a higher

risk of victimization due to their potential unfamiliarity with cyberspace norms

and practices. The Cybercrime Awareness Clinic team carried out focus

groups and interviews with older adults with the aim of gaining a better

understanding of their cybercrime perceptions and experiences. Fifteen older

adults over 60 years participated in focus groups or semi-structured interviews

and discussed their experiences of using the internet and dealing with

cybercrime. The study concluded that older adults have specific cyber

awareness resource requirements, which reinforces the need for more tailored

prevention and reporting mechanisms (Karagiannopoulos et al., 2021).

Moreover, Althibyani and Al-Zahrani (2023) stated that the increasing

prevalence of cybercrime, particularly among young adults, involves the

promotion of digital citizenship in order to educate students about responsible

online behavior and equip them with the skills necessary to mitigate cyber

risks. The specific goal of this study was to look into the impact of digital

citizenship skills on cybercrime prevention among higher education students.

Data was collected from 652 Saudi students using a mixed-method approach

that included surveys and interviews. According to the findings of this study,

digital citizenship has a significant impact on students' awareness and

prevention of cybercrime through the development of responsible online

behavior. Knowledge of digital law came first, then beliefs about digital

manners. Cybercrime is an offense that involves abusing the Internet platform,

posing a risk to information system security, and breaking both ethical and

legal laws regarding computers and IT systems. It is carried toward by means

of computers or the Internet. The flow of the technological infrastructure is

disrupted by both its direct and indirect effects.

In the digital age, acquiring knowledge or expertise about the kinds and

contents of cybercrimes is a necessary precondition. Since the younger

generation will be the ones to shape societies in the future, it is imperative that

we increase their awareness. Accordingly, the purpose of our study is to

determine the awareness of cybercrime among postgraduate and

undergraduate students at one of Kazakhstan's higher education institutions

Totally 133 student participants attended the survey which included questions

about the awareness of cybercrime concept and its scope. (Soylu et al.,

2021).

Raju et al., (2022) as of April 2020, closures of educational institutions

affected over 1.2 billion students in 186 countries. This pandemic has also

changed the educational landscape in Malaysia. Through open and distance

learning platforms, academics and students are embracing online learning.

The revolution in human intelligence and cognitive computing is called

Education 5.0. As the world moves in this direction, the biggest obstacles

people will encounter are those of the digitalization era, specifically those

related to cyber security and the risks involved. This study examines students'

awareness of cyber security at the UiTM Terengganu Faculty of Computer

and Mathematical Sciences through the use of a digital learning platform. The

study is important because it highlights the flaw and informs the students

about the possibility of becoming cyber victims.

The primary tool used by the criminal justice system to prevent deviant

behavior, both offline and online, is the threat of legal penalties. However,

academics have voiced serious doubts about the ability of official sanctions to

prevent cybercrime. The lack of deterrence research in the literature on

cybercrime is even more startling. This study looked at how online

harassment, computer hacking, and digital piracy were affected by noticed

formal and informal sanctions in a large sample of American college students.

Software piracy, media piracy, password cracking, account access, sending

hurtful messages privately online, and posting hurtful messages were all

negatively connected with experienced formal sanctions (Bossler 2021).

Furthermore, Ismailova et al. (2019) explains that it is common

knowledge that a system is only as secure as its weakest link. Organizations

and nations frequently invest in technology, forgetting that information security

cannot be guaranteed without increasing user awareness. Thus, the

awareness of cybercrime among users in two countries in Central Asia was

examined in this study. Students from each nation's two public universities

were selected as the target group. While in Kyrgyzstan none of the factors

affected the rate of cybercrime awareness, respondents' age and gender do.

Students in two Central Asian countries demonstrated slightly different

information security knowledge, despite a statistically significant difference in

users' awareness of cybercrime depending on their country of residence.

Similarly, Mwiraria et al. (2022) stated that students are heavy internet

users because they perform the majority of their daily communications and

school related activities on the internet. As a result, the students are highly

exposed to cybercrime victimization. Therefore, it’s important to determine

issues surrounding their level of awareness of cybercrime. In order to achieve

this, three specific research objectives were addressed; to determine the

association between gender and cybercrime awareness among university

students, to examine the association between age and cybercrime awareness

among university students and to find out the relationship between the level of

study and cybercrime awareness among university students.

The world is undergoing an advancement in technology due to Industry

4.0's automated processes and a host of other emerging technologies.

Cybercrimes are rising in tandem with these technological advancements,

posing a continuous threat to tool and technology users. Cybercriminals are

cleverly coming up with new strategies to ensnare innocent internet users so

they can't be found after committing a crime online. Additionally, damage and

crime are rising daily. Educating users about the ways in which they can fall

victim to fraud or other harm is one way to reduce the severity of cybercrimes.

The goal of this research project is to gather data on Internet users'

awareness of cybercrimes. These days, using the Internet is a way of life.

Thus, everyone's daily needs must include being aware of cybercrime

(Sharma 2020).

Challenges in Combating Cybercrime

These days, computers are a need for all part of life, including work,

play, and communication. It is not unexpected that computer-related crimes

are increasing given the growing usage of information technologies in our

daily lives and enterprises. Our society's widespread computer use has led to

a sharp increase in the challenges and difficulties related to crime, especially

cybercrime. The increasing prevalence of cybercrime through internet and

computer networks increases the need for courts to hire technical specialists

in this area. It's not always evident who is responsible for what investigation

and under what legal framework. As it aims to strengthen its ability to look into

and prosecute cybercrime, law enforcement encounters new difficulties

(Morina et al., 2023).

Cybercrime is a growing issue that law enforcement officials and other

stakeholders acknowledge as a serious concern. To investigate and solve the

issue, cops must be outfitted with cybercrime readiness. Cyberattacks have

had a negative impact on the epidemic, which calls for positive answers. The

experiences of the police officers gave them important cybercrime readiness,

which they learned in a variety of settings and used in the workplace with

advice for preventing cybercrime. Moustakas supplied the general design

together with a scientific design that included the theoretical foundations of the

cybercrime phenomenon. Eight participants who satisfied the inclusion criteria

and who applied the comprehensive seven-step Modified data analyses by

van Kaam, along with the fundamental ideas of Kolb's experiential learning

theory, made up the sample size (Martin 2022).

Furthermore, Balogun et al. (2019) stated that the very foundation of

peace is in danger of being destroyed due to the global prevalence of

cybercrime. Concern should be expressed about the ways in which identity

theft and financial fraud are evolving and breaching even the most secure

digital systems. The idea that Nigerians are the promoters of these kinds of

behaviors is a trend that is even more alarming. Young Nigerians are aware of

cybercrimes in order to understand the true motivations behind them and, if at

all possible, to deter such behavior from an early age. The findings

demonstrate that the world's perception is not entirely false, and suggestions

that could significantly reduce the appeal of this goal are noted.

In addition, Nukusheva (2022) stated that the three aspects of the issue

are addressed by the international legal framework: lowering inconsistencies

between national laws, granting new authorities, and encouraging global

cooperation. The study contends that the legal applicability of the international

measures does not seem to have an impact on the core documents' efficacy

in the field of countering cybercrime. It appears that elements like public

opinion, politics, economy, and national security encourage the unintentional

application of the international legal system. The study focuses on the

necessity of creating a foundational framework for criminal law cybercrime

qualification and combining classification systems at the international level.

Moreover, Khan et al. (2022) stated that cybercrime is a rapidly

expanding type of digital crime, and laws are not keeping up with the rapid

pace of technological advancement. Legislation is a key component

suggested by literature in the fight against cybercrime. The role of cybercrime

legislation in fighting cybercrime is a problem that hasn't been thoroughly

examined before. In order to combat cybercrime, the purpose of this paper is

to summarize the literature on cybercrime legislation. The literature in this

context focuses on the research that has already been done on cybercrime

legislation and how crucial it is to have effective responses in place in order to

effectively combat cybercrime.

This study provides a comprehensive examination of cybercrime, aiming to

enhance our understanding of its nature, impact, and prevention.

Organization of the Study

This study describes the lived experiences of Digital Challenges in the

context of Cybercrime. Chapter 1 explains the general view on the study's

background; it discusses the study's problem that is supported by the global,

international, national, and local. This is followed by the need to conduct this

research. It included here some questions that guide us in developing the

study. The theoretical lens served as a significant aspect that supported the

study—followed by the benefits of the study. To understand the study more,

we included here the definition of terms that serve as a vital point of the study,

and the delimitation and limitation of the study are also set.

Chapter 2 presents a discussion of the methods we are using in the

study's progress. Chapter 2 discusses the research design, participants, data

sources, data collection, and analysis. The trustworthiness of the study, its

role as the researchers, and ethical considerations are also set to guarantee

that this research was conducted with the highest possible ideas.

The outcomes of the conducted interviews are described in Chapter 3.

Readers can now learn about the informants' experiences dealing with

pandemic difficulties in this section. The main components of the study are
covered in Chapter 4. It provides commentary and confirmations based on the

findings. The results of each research question are also explained. It has

implications for additional research and makes some closing observations.

Chapter 2

Methodology

This chapter presents the methods used in this study. The research

design, research participants, role of the researcher, data sources, data

collection procedure, data analysis, the trustworthiness of the study, and

ethical consideration.

Research Design

A qualitative research design will be used in this study. According to

Allan (2020), A core feature of qualitative research methods is that satisfactory

explanations of social activities require a substantial appreciation of the

perspectives, culture and 'world-views' of the actors involved. According to

Awasthy (2019), Qualitative research is a process of capturing lived-in

experiences of individuals, groups, and society. It is an umbrella concept

which involves variety of methods of data collection such as interviews,

observations, focused group discussions, and anything which helps to

understand world of participants.

A case study research design involves an in-depth exploration of a

particular case or phenomenon within its real-life context. This design is

suitable when the researcher aims to gain a detailed understanding of a

complex issue, and when the research questions are focused on the "how"

and "why" rather than the "what". Case study can be qualitative or

quantitative, or a combination of both. It is a detailed examination of a single

case, often focusing on a specific aspect or problem.

A post positivist approach to case study involves developing a clear

case study protocol with careful consideration of validity and potential bias,

which might involve an exploratory or pilot phase, and ensures that all

elements of the case are measured and adequately described (Yin, 2012).

In this study, the qualitative method and case study approach are the

most appropriate designs because they describe a final plan to explore

people's lived experiences, and they were also concerned with the settings

where the data was gathered. It is participants primarily that this study focuses

on discovering the context of management, which the researcher believes will

assist students in ACES Polytechnic college Inc. to sincerely express their

lived experiences on digital challenges the context of cybercrime.

Research Participants

This study`s participants are three (3) students in Aces Polytechnic

College Inc. Purposive sampling will be used to select and identify participants

equitably, as suggested by Campbell et al. (2020), purposive sampling is used

to better match the sample to the goals and objectives of the study, enhancing

the study's rigour and the reliability of its data and findings.
The following inclusion criteria will be used to select study participants.

Inclusion criteria comprise the characteristics or attributes prospective

research participants must have to be included in the study. The researchers

choose participants at Aces Polytechnic College Inc. students, who

experienced the phenomenon last January 2021 to December 2023. The

researchers will also select referred case given by guidance office and

program head, minimum of three (3), one for main case and two (2) cases for

confirmability.

Data Sources

Qualitative researchers typically collect data through various methods

such as interviews, observations, and documents (Creswell, 2007). The

primary data in this study will come from the participants' experiences and

observations, which will be obtained through individual in-depth interviews.

According to Rutledge and Hogg (2020), an in‐depth interview is a

qualitative research technique that is used to conduct detailed interviews with

a small number of participants. In contrast to other forms of qualitative

research, researchers using an in‐depth interviewing approach invest a

significant amount of time with each participant employing a conversational

format. The purpose of in‐depth interviewing is to get detailed information that

sheds light on an individual's perspective, experiences, feelings, and the

derived meaning about a particular topic or issue.

In this study, the researcher will conduct in-depth interviews to

investigate the lived experiences, problems, struggles, and challenges faced

by students of Aces Polytechnic College Inc. on cybercrime.

Data Collection

According to Creswell (2007), qualitative researchers are involved in

several activities during the data collection process. The researcher will

organize actions in the data collection procedures in this study. Several events

occurred during the data collection, analysis, organization, and interpretation.

First, the researcher acquired permission to conduct the study from the

Aces Polytechnic College Inc. via letter of request noted by the APCI

Coordinator of the Institute of Criminal Justice.

Second, once the request letter is approved, it will be forwarded to

APCI Student Affairs Office together with the copy of the research study.

Third, the participants will be briefed on the study's objectives and

methodology, followed by signing a letter of consent to proceed with the study.

Fourth, the researcher will prepare guide questions to be checked and

validated before scheduling interviews with participants on their preferred date

and time.

Fifth, the actual interview will then take place on the scheduled date

and time in their preferred places where they feel comfortable sharing with us

their experiences with the use of an audio recorder.

Sixth, the researcher will transcribe the recorded data collected from

this study's research participants and translate and interpret the information in

a systematic written form.

Finally, the researcher will organize and store the data collected from

the respondents in order to ensure the data's security and to be able to

retrieve these files if necessary.

Data Analysis

The information gathered from in-depth interviews will be summarized,

transcribed, translated, and analyzed. In the data analysis process, the

researcher will adhere to the steps proposed by Creswell (2009).

The researcher will transcribe the recorded audio from the in-depth

interview to fully comprehend the participant's responses. The overall

impression is based on the information obtained.

Second, the data will be examined and analyzed using thematic

analysis. With the adviser's assistance, the researcher examined the data

using a thematic approach to identify themes, such as patterns in the data that

are important or interesting. According to Boyatzis (1998), the thematic

analysis serves as a "translator" for those who speak the languages of

qualitative analysis, allowing researchers who use different research methods

to communicate with one another. The researcher will ensure that the

reflected data matches what the participants meant.

Third, the researcher will categorize each transcription grouping

into themes; this allows the researcher to simplify and focus on specific data

characteristics. It will entail gathering and categorizing related data segments.

The researcher will then code the core ideas and formulate themes to extract

significant issues and core ideas as they are generated and clustered. It
entailed a process of reflection and a way of interacting with and thinking

about data.

Trustworthiness of the Study

According to Kyngäs et al. (2020) qualitative researchers commonly

have different opinions about which criteria are the best for evaluating

trustworthiness. However, the current consensus is that credibility,

transferability, dependability and confirmability are the four most relevant

terms for determining the trustworthiness of research. According to Connelly

(as cited in Polit and Beck, 2014), credibility of the study, or the confidence in

the truth of the study and therefore the findings, is the most important criterion.

Techniques used to establish credibility include prolonged engagement with

participants, persistent observation if appropriate to the study, peer-debriefing,

member-checking, and reflective journaling. Evidence also should be

presented of iterative questioning of the data, returning to examine it several

times.

Moreover, as suggested by Connelly (as cited in Amankwaa, 2016),

researchers support the study's transferability with a rich, detailed description

of the context, location, and people studied, and by being transparent about

analysis and trustworthiness. Researchers need to provide a vivid picture that

will inform and resonant with readers. As cited in Polit & Beck, (2014),

dependability refers to the stability of the data over time and over the

conditions of the study. It is similar to reliability in quantitative research, but

with the understanding stability of conditions depends on the nature of the

study. A study of a phenomenon experienced by a patient may be very similar

from time to time.

According to Connelly (as cited in Polit & Beck, 2014) confirmability is

the neutrality or the degree findings are consistent and could be repeated.

This is analogous to objectivity in quantitative research. Methods include

maintenance of an audit trail of analysis and methodological memos of log.

Qualitative researchers keep detailed notes of all their decisions and their

analysis as it progresses. In some studies, these notes are reviewed by a

colleague; in other studies, they may be discussed in peer-debriefing sessions

with a respected qualitative researcher.

Role of the Researchers

The researcher plays a vital role in this study as an interviewer,

recorder, transcriber, etc. As an interviewer, the researcher is personally

involved in gathering, investigating, collaborating, and interacting with

participants to obtain the necessary and required information through in-depth

interviews. Proper and organized processes will be followed for the study to

flow smoothly.

The researcher will use a recorder and other necessary devices as a

recorder to document and record the responses of the participants. Those

who participate in this study can expect complete confidentiality and protection

of their personal information. Any revelations, opinions, and points of view

expressed, both positive and negative, will be taken constructively.

As a translator, we will transcribe the response of the participants by

interpreting audio record information and copying it into written code as well

as translating the participants' reactions if necessary.

Ethical consideration

This study's primary focus is digital challenges in the context of

cybercrime. The researcher will conduct this study to maintain their trust

following the ethical standards outlined in the Bryman and Bell (2007). In

regard to the involvement to this study, the participants will not be subjected to

harm in any ways. Prior to the study, full consent will be obtained from the

participants, the students and department heads of Aces Polytechnic College

Inc. In addition, the protection of the privacy of research participants will be

ensured. Voluntary participation of respondents in the research will be treated

very important. Moreover, they have rights to withdraw from the study at any

stage if they wish to do so.

In handling the data, adequate level of confidentiality will be ensured.

Any form of misleading information, as well as representation of primary data

findings in a biased way will be avoided. On the other hand, maintaining the

highest level of objectivity in discussions and analyses throughout the

research will be considered. Furthermore, affiliations in any forms, sources of

funding, as well as possible conflicts of interest will be declared. Any type of

communication to this action research will be done with honesty and

transparency. The researcher will obtain permission from the participant to

record the data from the in-depth interviews on tape. The researcher will then
allow the participant to review and, if necessary, modify the transcript data to

ensure that it corresponds to the participant's response.

The researcher distributes tokens to the study's participants. Snacks

are provided to the participants who lent their time to make this research

possible to fairly compensate them for their efforts during the in-depth

interview. Furthermore, this research study adheres to the Data Privacy Act of

2012, Republic Act 10173, which protects an individual's right to privacy. This

act balances the right to privacy with the efficient use of information. As the

researcher complied with the Data Privacy Act of 2012, the privacy of the

research participants will be protected in this study, and no personal data will

be collected from participants.

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