Cybersecurity of Digital Citizens in the Remote Areas of the European High North

Abstract

This chapter focuses on how digital citizens in the remote areas of the European High North experience cybersecurity. The empirical research was conducted in the Finnish regions of Lapland, Ostrobothnia and North Karelia. The research comprised a postal survey (n = 1063) for citizens, web-based questionnaire for public sector professionals, two workshops for experts and additional interviews conducted with Sámi people and third-sector representatives. The research data were examined by means of a three-phase gap analysis. Based on the results, citizens are slightly more critical than officials with regards to cybersecurity, and they experience cybersecurity in a broader sense than simply as customers. Further, active digital citizens in remote areas experience cybersecurity problems that may eventually decrease the social acceptability of e-services.