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1 – 10 of over 1000Noluxolo Gcaza, Rossouw von Solms, Marthie M. Grobler and Joey Jansen van Vuuren
The purpose of this paper is to define and delineate cyber security culture. Cyber security has been a concern for many years. In an effort to mitigate the cyber security risks…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to define and delineate cyber security culture. Cyber security has been a concern for many years. In an effort to mitigate the cyber security risks, technology-centred measures were deemed to be the ultimate solution. Nowadays, however, it is accepted that the process of cyber security requires much more than mere technical controls. On the contrary, it now demands a human-centred approach, including a cyber security culture. Although the role of cultivating a culture in pursuing cyber security is well appreciated, research focusing intensely on cyber security culture is still in its infancy. Additionally, knowledge on the subject is not clearly bounded and defined.
Design/methodology/approach
General morphological analysis (GMA) is used to define, structure and analyse the cyber security environment culture.
Findings
This paper identifies the most important variables in cultivating a cyber security culture.
Research implications
The delineation of the national cyber security domain will contribute to the relatively new domain of cyber security culture. They contribute to the research community by means of promoting a shared and common understanding of terms. It is a step in the right direction towards eliminating the ambiguity of domain assumptions.
Practical implications
Practically, the study can assist developing nations in constructing strategies that addresses the key factors that need to be apparent in lieu to cultivating its envisaged national culture of cyber security. Additionally, the GMA will contribute to the development of solutions or means that do not overlook interrelations of such factors.
Originality/value
Delineating and defining the cyber security culture domain more precisely could greatly contribute to realizing the elements that collectively play a role in cultivating such a culture for a national perspective.
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Seval Kardes Selimoglu and Mustafa Hakan Saldi
Purpose: The study is designed to investigate internal audit functions in banks’ cyber security governance processes by assessing the pros and cons of blockchain technology…
Abstract
Purpose: The study is designed to investigate internal audit functions in banks’ cyber security governance processes by assessing the pros and cons of blockchain technology through swot analysis.
Need of the Study: The study is needed to clarify the complexities in internal audit fields integrated into cyber security governance and explore the blockchain application opportunities.
Methodology: Blockchain technology is explored from the point of technical concepts and policy framework by swot analysis to propose a set of solutions for continuous audit methods in cyber security governance.
Limitations: The sample of this study is limited to the personal ideas and evaluations of academicians, experts in the banking sector and legal regulators of Türkiye, with the data received between March and December 2021.
Findings: Blockchain technology can be applied as an alternative to conventional risk control methods as a mechanism of continuous audit methods to reduce human mistakes and special causes.
Practical Implications: The control of risk management operations for cyber security processes should be performed with the support of audit units of the banks. Therefore, innovations are being implemented to cyber-risk controls to drop the defects that cause technical and ethical issues with blockchain technology as a way of using automation. So, this advancement can be applied in audit operations practically for unanticipated events which can emerge in cyberspace to mitigate inherent risk to residual levels. However, there is ample room to adapt this technology for cyber security management and audit practices from the point of view of the labour force, regulations and environmental issues.
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Manmohan Chaturvedi, Abhishek Narain Singh, Manmohan Prasad Gupta and Jaijit Bhattacharya
The purpose of this paper is to attempt to fill the need to identify critical information security issues at national level, both technical and social in the Indian context, and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to attempt to fill the need to identify critical information security issues at national level, both technical and social in the Indian context, and create a framework of these issues to provide interesting managerial insights about their hierarchy. Current literature advocates relevance of both technical and social issues in a potential framework to address national and organizational information security concerns. Such a framework can guide users in developing insight for strategy in the maize of important information security issues and their intricate interdependency.
Design/methodology/approach
Delphi methodology is used to identify a set of topical issues with help from members of a cyber security group. These issues are further analyzed using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to impose order and direction to the complex relationships among them.
Findings
The analysis using ISM creates a framework of these issues and provides interesting managerial insights about their hierarchy. These insights are used to recommend prioritized action for information security at national and organizational levels.
Research limitations/implications
The highlight of this research is ingenious deployment of two idea engineering methods in developing interpretable structural model of 25 information security issues. This model provides valuable insights and can guide the policy formulation. This is the key contribution of this paper. It needs hardly any emphasis on the need for continuous search of all technical and social issues and formulating policies and programs using experts” judgment in a rigorous manner. Subsequent research may scale up to the global level for extension and validation by empanelling Delphi experts from nations belonging to different regions. Time-variant analysis can be attempted with the help of System Dynamics Modeling using causal-loop diagrams to account for the supportive and inhibiting influences of various issues. This approach has the potential to generate more realistic insights that can inform policy formulation.
Practical implications
It brings about key information security issues connected with its various facets, viz. national/organizational level initiatives, supportive processes, capabilities and objectives. These issues, identified by Indian experts in the Indian context, offer a method that one could apply in other national contexts and see whether substantial differences occur, and how other experts prioritize these issues. The analysis of social issues along with technical issues using the ISM tool provides us insights that are considered applicable to a larger context than India. The policy and program formulations in other nations can benefit from the insights generated by this research. The fast-paced proliferation of technology and its resultant vulnerabilities have given birth to an underground economy of malware trading by criminals, terrorists and hostile nation states. Secure cyber space for legitimate use by the globalized world can only be achieved by international cooperation.
Social implications
A “digital divide” in cyber defense cannot be afforded. As explained earlier, cyber security is a challenge for both developed and developing nations. Prioritization of resources in a sequence suggested by ISM analysis would help face the challenge of cyber security better. The methodology suggested in this paper would ensure adequate response to cyber threats and eliminate knee-jerk reaction.
Originality/value
This research emphasizes identification of hierarchical relationship among the identified topical issues of information security rather than using them as a flat checklist. It helps us segregate the end objectives from root issues and highlights the necessity of addressing these root issues to achieve those objectives.
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Tuğçe Karayel, Bahadır Aktaş and Adem Akbıyık
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cyber hygiene practices of remote workers.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cyber hygiene practices of remote workers.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper used two instruments: first, the Cyber Hygiene Inventory scale, which measures users’ information and computer security behaviors; second, the Recsem Inventory, developed within this paper’s context, to evaluate the cybersecurity measures adopted by organizations for remote workers. It was conducted on remote workers to examine their information security practices. The instrument was administered to a sample of 442 employees reached via the LinkedIn platform. Analyses were performed with SPSS v26, Python programming language and Seaborn library.
Findings
The findings indicate a significant correlation between the security measures implemented by companies and their employees’ cyber hygiene practices. A sector comparison revealed a significant difference in cyber hygiene levels between public and private sector workers.
Research limitations/implications
This paper aims to provide policymakers with suggestions for enhancing the cyber hygiene of remote workers to facilitate compliance with corporate security protocols.
Originality/value
This paper’s conclusions highlight the importance of companies increasing their cybersecurity investments as remote work becomes more prevalent. This should consider not only corporate-level factors but also employees' information and computer security behaviors.
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A research line has emerged that is concerned with investigating human factors in information systems and cyber-security in organizations using various behavioural and…
Abstract
Purpose
A research line has emerged that is concerned with investigating human factors in information systems and cyber-security in organizations using various behavioural and socio-cognitive theories. This study aims to explore human and contextual factors influencing cyber security behaviour in organizations while drawing implications for cyber-security in higher education institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review has been implemented. The reviewed studies have revealed various human and contextual factors that influence cyber-security behaviour in organizations, notably higher education institutions.
Research limitations/implications
This review study offers practical implications for constructing and keeping a robust cyber-security organizational culture in higher education institutions for the sustainable development goals of cyber-security training and education.
Originality/value
The value of the current review arises in that it presents a comprehensive account of human factors affecting cyber-security in organizations, a topic that is rarely investigated in previous related literature. Furthermore, the current review sheds light on cyber-security in higher education from the weakest link perspective. Simultaneously, the study contributes to relevant literature by gaining insight into human factors and socio-technological controls related to cyber-security in higher education institutions.
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Muktesh Chander, Sudhir K. Jain and Ravi Shankar
The purpose of this paper is to identify various information security management parameters and develop a conceptual framework for it.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify various information security management parameters and develop a conceptual framework for it.
Design/methodology/approach
Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and MICMAC approaches have been used to identify and classify the key factors of information security management based on the direct and indirect relationship of these factors.
Findings
The research presents a classification of key parameters according to their driving power and dependence which enable information security management in an organization. It also suggests parameters on which management should pay more attention.
Research limitations/implications
In the paper, 12 parameters were identified based on a literature study and expert help. It is possible to identify some more parameters for ISM development. The help of experts was also used to identify the contextual relationship among the variables for the ISM model. This may introduce some element of bias. Although a relationship model using ISM has been developed, it has not been validated statistically. For future research, it is suggested that the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique may be used to corroborate the findings of ISM. Some of the variables have been grouped together, being a part of a subset due to their similar nature; but it is possible to treat them as independent variables. Future researches may establish their interrelationships also.
Practical implications
The paper has tremendous practical utility for organizations which want to reap the benefits of information and communication technology for their growth but are struggling to find a right approach to deal with information security breach incidents.
Originality/value
Development of a framework for information security management in an organization is the major contribution of this paper. This would be of help to strategic managers in managing information security with emphasis on key parameters identified here.
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Neha Chhabra Roy and Sreeleakha Prabhakaran
The study aims to overview the different types of internal-led cyber fraud that have gained mainstream attention in recent major-value fraud events involving prominent Indian…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to overview the different types of internal-led cyber fraud that have gained mainstream attention in recent major-value fraud events involving prominent Indian banks. The authors attempted to identify and classify cyber frauds and its drivers and correlate them for optimal mitigation planning.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology opted for the identification and classification is through a detailed literature review and focus group discussion with risk and vigilance officers and cyber cell experts. The authors assessed the future of cyber fraud in the Indian banking business through the machine learning–based k-nearest neighbor (K-NN) approach and prioritized and predicted the future of cyber fraud. The predicted future revealing dominance of a few specific cyber frauds will help to get an appropriate fraud prevention model, using an associated parties centric (victim and offender) root-cause approach. The study uses correlation analysis and maps frauds with their respective drivers to determine the resource specific effective mitigation plan.
Findings
Finally, the paper concludes with a conceptual framework for preventing internal-led cyber fraud within the scope of the study. A cyber fraud mitigation ecosystem will be helpful for policymakers and fraud investigation officers to create a more robust environment for banks through timely and quick detection of cyber frauds and prevention of them.
Research limitations/implications
Additionally, the study supports the Reserve Bank of India and the Government of India's launched cyber security initiates and schemes which ensure protection for the banking ecosystem i.e. RBI direct scheme, integrated ombudsman scheme, cyber swachhta kendra (botnet cleaning and malware analysis centre), National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) and Security Monitoring Centre (SMC).
Practical implications
Structured and effective internal-led plans for cyber fraud mitigation proposed in this study will conserve banks, employees, regulatory authorities, customers and economic resources, save bank authorities’ and policymakers’ time and money, and conserve resources. Additionally, this will enhance the reputation of the Indian banking industry and extend its lifespan.
Originality/value
The innovative insider-led cyber fraud mitigation approach quickly identifies cyber fraud, prioritizes it, identifies its prominent root causes, map frauds with respective root causes and then suggests strategies to ensure a cost-effective and time-saving bank ecosystem.
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Malcolm Pattinson, Marcus Butavicius, Meredith Lillie, Beau Ciccarello, Kathryn Parsons, Dragana Calic and Agata McCormac
This paper aims to introduce the concept of a framework of cyber-security controls that are adaptable to different types of organisations and different types of employees. One of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to introduce the concept of a framework of cyber-security controls that are adaptable to different types of organisations and different types of employees. One of these adaptive controls, namely, the mode of training provided, is then empirically tested for its effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 1,048 working Australian adults completed the human aspects of the information security questionnaire (HAIS-Q) to determine their individual information security awareness (ISA). This included questions relating to the various modes of cyber-security training they had received and how often it was provided. Also, a set of questions called the cyber-security learning-styles inventory was used to identify their preferred learning styles for training.
Findings
The extent to which the training that an individual received matched their learning preferences was positively associated with their information security awareness (ISA) level. However, the frequency of such training did not directly predict ISA levels.
Research limitations/implications
Further research should examine the influence of matching cyber-security learning styles to training packages more directly by conducting a controlled trial where the training packages provided differ only in the mode of learning. Further research should also investigate how individual tailoring of aspects of an adaptive control framework (ACF), other than training, may improve ISA.
Practical implications
If cyber-security training is adapted to the preferred learning styles of individuals, their level of ISA will improve, and therefore, their non-malicious behaviour, whilst using a digital device to do their work, will be safer.
Originality/value
A review of the literature confirmed that ACFs for cyber-security does exist, but only in terms of hardware and software controls. There is no evidence of any literature on frameworks that include controls that are adaptable to human factors within the context of information security. In addition, this is the first study to show that ISA is improved when cyber-security training is provided in line with an individual’s preferred learning style. Similar improvement was not evident when the training frequency was increased suggesting real-world improvements in ISA may be possible without increasing training budgets but by simply matching individuals to their desired mode of training.
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Ivano Bongiovanni, Karen Renaud, Humphrey Brydon, Renette Blignaut and Angelo Cavallo
Boards of Directors and other organisational leaders make decisions about the information security governance systems to implement in their companies. The increasing number of…
Abstract
Purpose
Boards of Directors and other organisational leaders make decisions about the information security governance systems to implement in their companies. The increasing number of cyber-breaches targeting businesses makes this activity inescapable. Recently, researchers have published comprehensive lists of recommended cyber measures, specifically to inform organisational boards. However, the young cybersecurity industry has still to confirm and refine these guidelines. As a starting point, it would be helpful for organisational leaders to know what other organisations are doing in terms of using these guidelines. In an ideal world, bespoke surveys would be developed to gauge adherence to guidelines, but this is not always feasible. What we often do have is data from existing cybersecurity surveys. The authors argue that such data could be repurposed to quantify adherence to existing information security guidelines, and this paper aims to propose, and test, an original methodology to do so.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors propose a quantification mechanism to measure the degree of adherence to a set of published information security governance recommendations and guidelines targeted at organisational leaders. The authors test their quantification mechanism using a data set collected in a survey of 156 Italian companies on information security and privacy.
Findings
The evaluation of the proposed mechanism appears to align with findings in the literature, indicating the validity of the present approach. An analysis of how different industries rank in terms of their adherence to the selected set of recommendations and guidelines confirms the usability of our repurposed data set to measure adherence.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, a quantification mechanism as the one proposed in this study has never been proposed, and tested, in the literature. It suggests a way to repurpose survey data to determine the extent to which companies are implementing measures recommended by published cybersecurity guidelines. This way, the proposed mechanism responds to increasing calls for the adoption of research practices that minimise waste of resources and enhance research sustainability.
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Durga Prasad Dube and Rajendra Prasad Mohanty
As evident from the literature review, the research on cyber security performance is centered on security metrics, maturity models, etc. Essentially, all these are helpful for…
Abstract
Purpose
As evident from the literature review, the research on cyber security performance is centered on security metrics, maturity models, etc. Essentially, all these are helpful for evaluating the efficiency of cyber security organization but what matters is how the factors of internal efficiency affect the business performance, i.e. the external effectiveness. The purpose of this research paper is to derive the factors of internal efficiency and external effectiveness of cyber security and develop impact model to identify the most and least preferred parameters of internal efficiency with respect to all the parameters of external effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
There are two objectives for this research: Deriving the factors of internal efficiency and external effectiveness of cyber security; Developing a model to identify the impact of internal efficiency factors on the external effectiveness of cyber security since there is not much evidence of research in defining the factors of internal efficiency and external effectiveness of cyber security, the authors have chosen grounded theory methodology (GTM) to derive the parameters. In this study emic approach of GTM is followed and an algorithm is developed for administering the grounded theory research process. For the second research objective survey methodology and rank order was used to formulate the impact model. Two different samples and questionnaires were designed for each of the objectives.
Findings
For the objective 1, 11 factors of efficiency and 10 factors of effectiveness were derived. These are used as independent and dependent variable respectively in the later part of the research for the second objective. For the objective 2 the impact models among independent and dependent variables were formulated to find out the following. Most and least preferred parameters lead to internal efficiency of cyber security organization to identify the most and least preferred parameters of internal efficiency with respect to all the parameters external effectiveness.
Research limitations/implications
The factors of internal efficiency and external effectiveness constructed by using grounded theory cannot remain constant in the long run, because of dynamism of the domain itself. Over and above this, there are inherent limitations of the tools like grounded theory, used in the research. Few important limitations of GTM are as below in grounded theory, it is comparatively difficult to maintain and demonstrate the rigors of research discipline. The sheer volume of data makes the analysis and interpretation complex, and lengthy time consuming. The researchers’ presence during data gathering, which is often unavoidable and desirable too in qualitative research, may affect the subjects’ responses. The subjectivity of the data leads to difficulties in establishing reliability and validity of approaches and information. It is difficult to detect or to prevent researcher-induced bias.
Practical implications
The internal efficiency and external effectiveness factors of cyber security can be further correlated by the future researchers to understand the correlations among all the factors and predict cyber security performance. The grounded theory algorithm developed by us can be further used for qualitative research for deriving theory through abstractions in the areas where there is no sufficient availability of data. Practitioners of cyber security can use this research to focus on relevant areas depending on their respective business objective/requirements. The models developed by us can be used by the future researchers to for various sectoral validations and correlations.
Social implications
Though the financial costs of a cyber-attack are steep, the social impact of cyber security failures is less readily apparent but can cause lasting damage to customers, employees and the company. Therefore, it is always important to be mindful of how the impact of cyber security affects society as well as the bottom line when they are calculating the potential impact of a breach. Underestimating either impact can destroy a brand. The factor of internal efficiency and external effectiveness derived by us will help stakeholder in focusing on relevant area depending on their business. The impact model developed in this research is very useful for focusing a particular business requirement and accordingly tune the efficiency factor.
Originality/value
During literature study the authors did not find any evidence of application of grounded theory approach in cyber security research. While the authors were exploring research literature to find out some insight into the factor of internal efficiency and external effectiveness of cyber security, the authors did not find concrete and objective research on this. This motivated us to use grounded theory to derive these factors. This, in the authors’ opinion is one of the pioneering and unique contribution to the research as to the authors’ knowledge no researchers have ever tried to use this methodology for the stated purpose and cyber security domain in general. In this process the authors have also developed an algorithm for administering GTM. Further developing impact models using factors of internal efficiency and external effectiveness has lots of managerial and practical implication.
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