Organizational cybersecurity readiness in the ICT sector: a quanti-qualitative assessment

Purpose – Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly widespread, and cybersecurity is therefore increasingly important. Although the technological aspects of cybersecurity are its best-known characteristics, the cybersecurity phenomenon goes beyond the detection of technological impacts, and encompasses all the dimensions of an organization. This study thus focusses on an additional set of organizational elements. The key elements of cybersecurity organizational readiness depicted here are cybersecurity awareness, cybersecurity culture and cybersecurity organizational resilience (OR). This study aims to qualitatively assess small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) overall level of organizational cybersecurity readiness. Design/methodology/approach – This study focused on conducting a cybersecurity organizational readiness assessment using a sample of 53 Italian SMEs from the information and communication technology sector. Informed mixed method research, this study was conducted consistent with the principles of the explanatory sequential mixed method design, and adopting a quanti-qualitative methodology. The quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire. Qualitative data were subsequently collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings – Although many elements of the technical aspects of cybersecurity OR have yielded very encouraging results, there are still some areas that require improvement. These include those facets that constitute the foundation of cybersecurity awareness, and, thus, a cybersecurity culture. This result highlights that the areas in need of improvement are exactly those that are most important in fighting against cyber threats via organizational cybersecurity readiness. Originality/value – Although the importance of SMEs is obvious, evidence of such organizations’ attitudes to cybersecurity are still limited. This research is an attempt to depict the organizational issue related to cybersecurity, i.e. overall cybersecurity organizational readiness

A Universal Cybersecurity Competency Framework for Organizational Users

The global reliance on the Internet to facilitate organizational operations necessitates further investments in organizational information security. Such investments hold the potential for protecting information assets from cybercriminals. To assist organizations with their information security, The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NCWF) was created. The framework referenced the cybersecurity work, knowledge, and skills required to competently complete the tasks that strengthen their information security. Organizational users’ limited cybersecurity competency contributes to the financial and information losses suffered by organizations year after year. While most organizational users may be able to respond positively to a cybersecurity threat, without a measure of their cybersecurity competency they represent a cybersecurity threat to organizations. The main goal of this research study was to develop a universal Cybersecurity Competency Framework (CCF) to determine the demonstrated cybersecurity Knowledge, Skills, and Tasks (KSTs) through the NCWF (NICE, 2017) as well as identify the cybersecurity competency of organizational users. Limited attention has been given in cybersecurity research to determine organizational users’ cybersecurity competency. An expert panel of cybersecurity professionals known as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) validated the cybersecurity KSTs necessary for the universal CCF. The research study utilized the explanatory sequential mixed-method approach to develop the universal CCF. This research study included a developmental approach combining quantitative and qualitative data collection in three research phases. In Phase 1, 42 SMEs identified the KSTs needed for the universal CCF. The results of the validated data from Phase 1 were inputted to construct the Phase 2 semi-structured interview. In Phase 2, qualitative data were gathered from 12 SMEs. The integration of the quantitative and qualitative data validated the KSTs. In Phase 3, 20 SMEs validated the KST weights and identified the threshold level. Phase 3 concluded with the SMEs\u27 aggregation of the KST weights into the universal CCF index. The weights assigned by the SMEs in Phase 3 showed that they considered knowledge as the most important competency, followed by Skills, then Tasks. The qualitative results revealed that training is needed for cybersecurity tasks. Phase 3 data collection and analysis continued with the aggregation of the validated weights into a single universal CCF index score. The SMEs determined that 72% was the threshold level. The findings of this research study significantly contribute to the body of knowledge on information systems and have implications for practitioners and academic researchers. It appears this is the only research study to develop a universal CCF to assess the organizational user’s competency and create a threshold level. The findings also offer further insights into what organizations need to provide cybersecurity training to their organizational users to enable them to competently mitigate cyber-attacks

Towards Assessing Organizational Cybersecurity Risks via Remote Workers’ Cyberslacking and Their Computer Security Posture

Cyberslacking is conducted by employees who are using their companies’ equipment and network for personal purposes instead of performing their work duties during work hours. Cyberslacking has a significant adverse effect on overall employee productivity, however, recently, due to COVID19 pandemic move to remote working also pose a cybersecurity risk to organizations networks and infrastructure. In this work-in-progress research study, we are developing, validating, and will empirically test taxonomy to assess an organization’s remote workers’ risk level of cybersecurity threats. This study includes a three-phased developmental approach in developing the Remote Worker Cyberslacking Security Risk Taxonomy. With feedback from cybersecurity Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on the taxonomy and measures, we then plan to use the taxonomy to assess organizational remote workers’ risk level of cybersecurity threats by using actual system indicators of productivity measures to estimate their cyberslacking along with assessing the computer security posture of the remote device being used to access organizational resources. Anticipated results from 125 anonymous employees will then be assessed on the proposed novel taxonomy where recommendation to the organizational cybersecurity leadership will be provided

A Proposal for Social Ethical Hacking Framework for Detecting and Managing Human-Induced Vulnerabilities in Organizational Cybersecurity

Organizations carry out an ethical hacking approach to combat cybersecurity challenges, focusing on the technical aspects of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The practice persists despite evidence that shows that human-induced cybersecurity vulnerabilities constitute a significant threat to organizational cybersecurity. To address this gap, we propose the social-ethical hacking framework to deal with human-induced cybersecurity vulnerabilities in organizations. We adopted the interpretive case study research method, the community of practice theory as the theoretical study lens, and university undergraduate students as the study context. Research data was collected through interviews and participatory observation. The study reveals how the communities of practice undergraduate students established in the study context enabled the institutionalization of social actions and behaviors that constitute cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Organizational actors jointly create the social behaviors and actions that make organizations vulnerable to cybersecurity challenges and should focus on social-ethical hacking practices. The result shows the crucial role of competence in degenerating similar behaviors among undergraduate students; and how their social behaviors make their institution susceptible to cyber security threats

Assessing SMEs’ cybersecurity organizational readiness: Findings from an Italian survey

The Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ (SMEs) level of organizational cybersecurity readiness has been poorly investigated to date. Currently, all SMEs need to maintain an adequate level of cybersecurity to run their businesses, not only those wishing to fully exploit digitalization’s benefits. Unfortunately, due to their lack of resources, skills, and their low level of cyber awareness, SMEs often seem unprepared. It is essential that they address the digital threats that they face by using technology and complementary (and not alternative) factors, such as guidelines, formal policies, and training. All these elements trigger development processes regarding skills, awareness, the organizational cybersecurity culture, and the organizational resilience. This paper describes Italy’s first multidisciplinary attempt to assess its SMEs’ overall cybersecurity readiness level. We used a survey as its initial quantitative assessment approach, although SMEs can also use it as a cyber self-assessment tool, which prepares them better to navigate the digital ecosystem. Thereafter, we held semi-structured interviews to explore the critical points that had emerged from the study’s first phase. The overall results show that SMEs have not yet achieved high levels of organizational readiness. SMEs are currently starting to set the stage for their organizational cyber readiness and will, therefore, have to take many more proactive steps to address their cyber challenges

A Comprehensive Cybersecurity Defense Framework for Large Organizations

There is a growing need to understand and identify overarching organizational requirements for cybersecurity defense in large organizations. Applying proper cybersecurity defense will ensure that the right capabilities are fielded at the right locations to safeguard critical assets while minimizing duplication of effort and taking advantage of efficiencies. Exercising cybersecurity defense without an understanding of comprehensive foundational requirements instills an ad hoc and in many cases conservative approach to network security. Organizations must be synchronized across federal and civil agencies to achieve adequate cybersecurity defense. Understanding what constitutes comprehensive cybersecurity defense will ensure organizations are better protected and more efficient. This work, represented through design science research, developed a model to understand comprehensive cybersecurity defense, addressing the lack of standard requirements in large organizations. A systemic literature review and content analysis were conducted to form seven criteria statements for understanding comprehensive cybersecurity defense. The seven criteria statements were then validated by a panel of expert cyber defenders utilizing the Delphi consensus process. Based on the approved criteria, the team of cyber defenders facilitated the development of a Comprehensive Cybersecurity Defense Framework prototype for understanding cybersecurity defense. Through the Delphi process, the team of cyber defense experts ensured the framework matched the seven criteria statements. An additional and separate panel of stakeholders conducted the Delphi consensus process to ensure a non-biased evaluation of the framework. The comprehensive cybersecurity defense framework is developed through the data collected from two distinct and separate Delphi panels. The framework maps risk management, behavioral, and defense in depth frameworks with cyber defense roles to offer a comprehensive approach to cyber defense in large companies, agencies, or organizations. By defining the cyber defense tasks, what those tasks are trying to achieve and where best to accomplish those tasks on the network, a comprehensive approach is reached

Organizing cybersecurity in action : a Pragmatic Ethical Reasoning approach

Author's accepted manuscriptThis paper contributes to the literature on cybersecurity governance by suggesting an approach based on pragmatism. As Jeffrey Sachs in his The Age of Sustainable Development, 2015, reminds us: “The essence of sustainable development in practice is scientifically and morally based problem solving”. Cybersecurity deals with problem solving in complex socio-technical settings where ethics and organizational learning are tightly related. The paper draws on pragmatism because from its earliest formulation, pragmatist thought was anchored to a dual interest in ethics and science. Under this lens, pragmatic ethics cannot exist as a set of rules or principles, but rather requires a cyclical, empirical process whereby ethical principles and context interact to promote justice among stakeholders in the research of reliable solutions during the unravel of critical events. As a result, an Ethically oriented Cybersecurity Approach (ECA) based on Pragmatic Ethical Reasoning (PER) is proposed for managing unexpected critical events when organizations must learn on-the-fly and improve their security profiles.acceptedVersio

How does intellectual capital align with cyber security?

Purpose – To position the preservation and protection of intellectual capital as a cyber security concern. We outline the security requirements of intellectual capital to help Boards of Directors and executive management teams to understand their responsibilities and accountabilities in this respect.Design/Methodology/Approach – The research methodology is desk research. In other words, we gathered facts and existing research publications that helped us to define key terms, to formulate arguments to convince BoDs of the need to secure their intellectual capital, and to outline actions to be taken by BoDs to do so.Findings – Intellectual capital, as a valuable business resource, is related to information, knowledge and cyber security. Hence, preservation thereof is also related to cyber security governance, and merits attention from boards of directors.Implications – This paper clarifies boards of directors’ intellectual capital governance responsibilities, which encompass information, knowledge and cyber security governance.Social Implications – If boards of directors know how to embrace their intellectual capital governance responsibilities, this will help to ensure that such intellectual capital is preserved and secured.Practical Implications – We hope that boards of directors will benefit from our clarifications, and especially from the positioning of intellectual capital in cyber space.Originality/Value – This paper extends a previous paper published by Von Solms and Von Solms (2018), which clarified the key terms of information and cyber security, and the governance thereof. The originality and value is the focus on the securing of intellectual capital, a topic that has not yet received a great deal of attention from cyber security researchers

Modernization of Manufacturing with Cybersecurity at the Forefront

With the proliferation of Industrial Control Systems (ICSs), manufacturing processes have improved over the last 30 years, however, the organizational focus to securely exchange and process information to/from integrated systems has been consistently lacking. These environments continue to be susceptible to security vulnerabilities, despite history [15] showing that cybersecurity exposures in manufacturing have largely gone unaddressed and continue to rise [52]. This study evaluates cybersecurity challenges in the industry and proposes recommendations for practical and fiscally responsible defense-in-depth cybersecurity protections for manufacturing environments. The business operating model, how ICSs became pervasive, as well as the major components that enable the operational technology (OT) were evaluated. With an understanding of the traditional network architecture for the industry [37], the rapidly evolving challenges facing the industry were examined. These challenges are impactful to the traditional and slow to change manufacturing operating model that has not focused on the necessary cyber protections for their OT environments. In addition, the industry is now facing game-changing technological concepts such as advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0 that bring new complex challenges and cyber threats, unfamiliar to most in the industry. This is all underpinned by an organizational divide where the personnel most knowledgeable with the modern technology and cyber risks, in the majority of cases, are not responsible for the OT architecture and security. These headwinds impact an industry which spends the least on IT and cyber security than any other industry, globally [22]. The cyber risks and challenges in the industry are diverse, spanning technological and organizational competencies, stemming from purpose built components which operate in an ecosystem where cybersecurity is an afterthought. As a means to close the gap, practical and reasonable recommendations to address these problems are discussed; some specific and unique to the manufacturing industry while others are fundamental applications discussed with a manufacturing industry lens, which are commonly ignored due to perceived complexity, cost or simply lack of awareness. Lastly, a number of these recommendations were selected for further evaluation and implementation; challenges, approach, benefits and outcomes are shared showing measureable improvements to the cybersecurity posture of the organization.Master of ScienceComputer and Information Science, College of Engineering & Computer ScienceUniversity of Michigan-Dearbornhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147433/1/49698122_CIS699 - Mangano Thesis - Modernization of Manufacturing with Cybersecurity at the Forefront - Final 121018-v4.pdfDescription of 49698122_CIS699 - Mangano Thesis - Modernization of Manufacturing with Cybersecurity at the Forefront - Final 121018-v4.pdf : Thesi