Learn About Digital and Cyber Inequity

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

Define digital and cyber inequity.
Discuss risks associated with digital and cyber inequity.

What Is Digital and Cyber Inequity?

Zena, the driving force behind Zena’s Botanicals, built her family’s artisanal soap business from the ground up. Nestled in a tight-knit community, her workshop is a haven of creativity, where she pours her heart into each batch of soap, infusing them with locally gathered herbs and essential oils. Her soaps are more than just cleaning agents; they are an extension of Zena’s deep appreciation for nature.

Zena recognized the potential of taking Zena’s Botanicals online as a pivotal step toward realizing her dreams and expanding the family business beyond the local farmers’ markets and community fairs. However, her hands, skilled in the art of blending herbs and essential oils, are unaccustomed to keyboards and screens. Simply attaching a file to an email is a task that feels as complex and foreign to her as her soap recipes might to another person. Yet, with determination, Zena chose an online marketplace with an easy setup and low monthly fees to create a virtual storefront that mirrored the warmth and authenticity of her workshop.

A woman in front of a computer taking a digital order.

Unfortunately, Zena’s digital debut, while lucrative, lacked the cybersecurity controls necessary to adequately protect her business from malicious attacks. This vulnerability did not go unnoticed by cybercriminals. The attack that eventually struck her online store was a rude awakening for Zena. The breach resulted in a catastrophic financial loss and her limited understanding of cybersecurity also hampered her ability to quickly recover and get her business safely back online.

For Zena, this was a call to action, a moment to reassess and fortify, not just for her business’s sustainability but also for the trust of her loyal customers who had supported her journey from the local markets to the digital global stage. Now she understands that she clearly needs more than a great business plan and an amazing product to be successful online. She needs a security strategy.

This scenario demonstrates the effects of digital and cyber inequity–the uneven access and knowledge of digital technologies and the resulting lack of cybersecurity awareness experienced by disadvantaged individuals, communities, and businesses.

Digital inequalities often stem from a limited access to essential digital resources, such as reliable internet and digital literacy or basic knowledge of computers and internet safety. In many cases cyber inequity, the unequal access to and protection from online risks, arises from underlying digital inequalities, exposing marginalized communities and groups to vulnerabilities and the harmful impact of exploitation.

Take the case of Zena, for example. Her struggle with simple digital tasks, such as attaching a document to an email, showcases her limited digital literacy. This gap in digital knowledge and skills led to her limited knowledge of adequate cybersecurity protections for her online business, putting her at a higher risk of cyberattack and a diminished likelihood of resilience.

Risk Factor

The issue of digital and cyber inequity is most acute among individuals and smaller entities, such as marginalized communities, small businesses, and nonprofits. The reasons behind digital and cyber inequity among these groups are complex but the table includes some of the main factors that contribute to the problem.

Risk Factor	Description
Digital divide	Limited access to technology: Lack of affordable devices and internet connectivity creates a barrier to accessing online tools and resources, including cybersecurity knowledge and training. Digital literacy deficit: Insufficient knowledge and awareness about online safety practices and the importance of cybersecurity leaves individuals and businesses vulnerable.
Economic constraints	Cost of cybersecurity: Implementing effective cybersecurity measures can be expensive, particularly for those with competing priorities (for example, healthcare costs, education, safety).
Infrastructure and resources	Lack of skilled workforce: Shortages of cybersecurity professionals make it difficult to implement and maintain essential security measures. Weak regulatory frameworks: Insufficient legal frameworks around data privacy and cybercrime create an environment where attackers face fewer consequences.
Cultural and social factors	Low awareness of cyber threats: Limited public awareness and education campaigns leave individuals and businesses unprepared for online dangers. Cultural norms: Different cultural attitudes toward privacy and information sharing can impact people’s willingness to adopt security measures.

Keep in mind that even though certain conditions might heighten the likelihood of digital and cyber inequity, anyone can be vulnerable to online dangers and have weakened cyberdefenses. For this reason, it’s important to always remain vigilant.

Is Your Business At Risk?

The attack on her business has left Zena determined to understand why it happened. The checklist below covers some of the factors that create cyber risks. The purpose of this checklist is to guide you in pinpointing potential gaps or inequities that could disproportionately expose you to cyber threats. By examining each area, you can uncover important insights and take steps toward enhancing your online security.

This checklist was created based on the following resources: Improving Cybersecurity Awareness in Underserved Populations and The Hidden Injustice of Cyberattacks.

Instructions: Read each statement. Mark only those statements that apply to your situation.

Digital awareness and access:

I struggle to understand online safety practices or terms.
I have limited or unreliable access to the internet and/or devices.

Cybersecurity habits:

I use the same password across multiple accounts.
I haven’t enabled two-factor authentication (or the option to send a code to my phone) on important accounts.

Data protection and privacy:

I don’t use privacy settings.
I haven’t backed up my data recently or not at all.

Financial security:

I shop on websites that don’t look secure (for example, no “https” in the website address, misspelled words, unusual domain extensions like .xyz instead of .com).
I use the same password for online banking and other sites.

Awareness of resources and support:

I don’t know where to find trustworthy information about cyberthreats.
I don't know where to get technical support for my devices.

Now that you’ve completed the checklist, take a closer look at the items you marked. These marked items can signal gaps in cyber protection potentially influenced by digital or cyber inequity.

So, what’s next? How do you tackle these vulnerabilities to create a safer digital environment for you and your business?

Cybersecurity Maturity

Cybersecurity maturity measures an organization’s ability to create a culture of cybersecurity awareness, responsibility, and resilience. This empowers people to make informed decisions and safeguard information and assets. Cybersecurity maturity is essential in tackling digital and cyber inequity because cyber threats often exploit human vulnerabilities rather than solely technical weaknesses. A cyber-mature organization addresses this through ongoing education, training, and a culture that values security as part of everyday life.

Think of cybersecurity maturity like developing defensive habits in the physical world. The same way we learn to look both ways before crossing the street, we cultivate a cyber instinct. This blend of awareness and learned behavior fosters proactive security practices in our digital interactions. A truly secure posture relies on people developing these instincts, supported by continuous learning and feedback.

Stages of a plant maturing and growing taller in each stage.

In this unit you’ve been introduced to the concepts of digital and cyber inequity and you’ve determined if you are potentially at risk. In the next unit, we explore a specific cybersecurity maturity model designed to guide you through an incremental and ongoing cybersecurity maturation process to help mitigate the risks of digital and cyber inequity.

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