Cybersecurity Consciousness in Hybrid Work: The Dominant Role of Organizational and Technological Support

Abstract

Using regression analysis on a sample of 106 Bangalore- based IT professionals, this study looked at the variables affecting cybersecurity awareness in hybrid work settings. Cyber security Consciousness (CSC) according to the study, is a combination of behaviour, attitude, and awareness. Initial regression (Model 1) revealed no significance direct impact of work arrangement alone, despite descriptive statistics showing generally high CSC rating across work arrangements, especially for flexible and hybrid models. But according to the thorough Model 2, Work Environment Security, Organizational Support, and Technology infrastructure are all strategically significant positive predictors of CSC, with Organizational Support being the most powerful. Age also had a slight but noteworthy impact. Whether IT professionals work on-site, hybrid, or remotely, the positive effects of robust technology infrastructure and organizational support on cybersecurity consciousness appear to be constant, according to a subsequent (Model 3) that found no significant interaction effects between work arrangements (hybrid/remote) and these environmental factors. These results demonstrate how important organizational and technological environment elements are in raising cybersecurity awareness among IT workers on changing work models. rather than work arrangements. The practical implications suggest that organizations should prioritize organizational support, technology infrastructure, and work environment security rather than restricting work arrangement flexibility, as environmental support systems are more critical than physical work location for maintaining cybersecurity consciousness. The cross-sectional design prevents establishing causal relationships between variables, meaning we cannot determine whether environmental factors cause improved cybersecurity consciousness or if the relationship works in reverse. Investigating the mediating mechanisms that explain how environmental factors influence cybersecurity consciousness would provide deeper insights into the underlying processes and help develop more targeted interventions.