PUBLIC DIGITAL LITERACY AND INSTITUTIONAL CYBERSECURITY READINESS FOR AI-ASSISTED SOCIAL ENGINEERING IN BATAM’S FREE TRADE ZONE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36526/sosioedukasi.v15i4.9704Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence; Cybercrime; Digital Literacy; Free Trade Zone; Social EngineeringAbstract
Batam's Free Trade Zone (FTZ) status and cross-border connectivity present cybersecurity challenges associated with organized digital fraud and emerging artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted social engineering. This study examines public digital-security literacy and policing strategies for addressing these threats. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design combined a survey of 94 residents aged 25–29 in Sambau Subdistrict, using 53 indicators adapted from six NIST Cybersecurity Framework functions, with qualitative evidence from Polda Kepri, Diskominfo, BP Batam, and BSSN. Community-level quantitative findings were interpreted alongside institutional interview evidence. Item–total correlations ranged from 0.221 to 0.553, with Cronbach's Alpha reaching 0.888, providing preliminary evidence of item consistency and overall reliability. The surveyed population achieved a digital-literacy index of 83.00, classified as “Very Good,” although the Identification dimension showed comparatively weaker performance in recognizing AI-generated content and understanding personal-data storage. Institutional findings revealed fragmented responsibilities, predominantly reactive detection, and delayed inter-agency responses. Reported criminal operations primarily involved conventional digital fraud, while AI-assisted methods remained insufficiently verified in individual cases. These findings identify institutional coordination and detection capacity as priority areas for strengthening cybersecurity governance in Batam.
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