Importance of Adding Cybersecurity to Accounting Curricula: An Applied Study on Saudi Universities

Abstract

In the current technological era, it is necessary to complete the accounting curricula to keep pace with the developments of the profession. This study aimed to assess the extent to which the importance of adding cybersecurity to accounting curricula. A survey was provided to collect primary data from 122 participants who represented faculty members of the accounting departments at Saudi Arabia universities, and multiple statistical methods were used to analyse the data and find out the relationship between the variables in the study model. The findings show that it is important to add cybersecurity to accounting curricula. These results suggest that it is not clear to what extent accounting students are currently qualified to work with the basics of cybersecurity. The results also indicate that knowledge of cybersecurity increases the competitiveness of accounting graduates. The results presented the most difficulties facing the accounting departments to add the cybersecurity curriculum, such as the lack of references available for teaching cybersecurity in accounting curricula, some faculty members do not know the importance of cybersecurity in accounting, and it is difficult to provide qualified faculty to teach cybersecurity in accounting departments. As a result of these investigations, suggestions for future research were identified.

Keywords: Cybersecurity, Accounting Curricula, Accounting Students, Accounting Graduates.

DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/15-9-02

Publication date: October 30th 2024