Abstract—Users are prone to cyberattacks due to unlicensed software which may contain malicious entities. This study then assesses student vulnerability on the download of a malware disguised as cracked software through social engineering. Furthermore, the study assesses the level of security their browsers have when met with a malicious file. This study uses a quantitative method. The study’s participants, college students, were given an instruction to download the software which is Adobe Photoshop without any indication that it contains malicious software located in a batch (.bat) file. Based on the data collected, the researchers concluded that most of the students are susceptible to the vulnerability of downloading a cracked software, Adobe Photoshop carrying a malicious software.

Keywords—student       vulnerability,    social    engineering, browser, Adobe Photoshop, batch, cracked software