Cyber Threat Exposure and Institutional Support for Women Entrepreneurs in E-Commerce: A Study of Delhi and Faridabad

Abstract

This study investigates the cybersecurity challenges faced by women entrepreneurs operating e-commerce businesses in two distinct urban centres of North India—Delhi and Faridabad. As digital platforms increasingly become vital tools for economic empowerment, women-led ventures remain disproportionately vulnerable to cyber threats due to limited access to technical knowledge, institutional support, and affordable cybersecurity infrastructure. Utilizing a quantitative, questionnaire-based research design, this study surveyed 300 women entrepreneurs (150 from each city) to examine the prevalence of cybersecurity threats, the effectiveness of institutional support mechanisms such as District Industries Centres (DIC), and the barriers to implementing digital safeguards. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including Chi-square tests, revealed that while awareness of cybersecurity issues is relatively high (over 70%), actual threat exposure—including phishing, malware, and account breaches—is widespread, affecting 66% of respondents. Moreover, institutional schemes like DIC are underutilized due to low awareness and administrative complexity. Key implementation barriers included high costs (36%), time/resource constraints (31%), and technical skill gaps (15.3%). Significant regional differences were observed, affirming the role of urban infrastructure and institutional accessibility in shaping cybersecurity resilience. The study concludes that while digital platforms offer transformative potential for women entrepreneurs, this potential remains undermined by cybersecurity vulnerabilities. It calls for targeted, gender-sensitive interventions including financial subsidies, expert-led capacity-building programs, and streamlined institutional outreach to support safe and inclusive participation in India's growing digital economy.