An Assessment of IT Students' Awareness in the Field of Instant Messengers Security

Instant Messengers, though being around for decades, only in recent years they have managed to gain much more popularity. Today, they are the most common way of communicating, especially among young people. However, where information is being transferred there is a potential risk of it being intercepted, manipulated or disrupted. Thus, Security of Instant Messengers became a matter of high importance comprising of not only protecting the users’ sensitive information but also privacy. Also important is the awareness of the users. Are they aware of the dangers that come with directing sensitive information in this manner? Are they taking the necessary steps to shield themselves from breach attempts? This article was written to present and evaluate the awareness of IT students in the field of instant messengers security.