7 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
BEGINNING THE INFORMATION SECURITY JOURNEY FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES THROUGH BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE AUTOMATION
Technology has become an essential component of enterprises, driving productivity, innovation, and defining entire processes and product categories. However, these advances come with additional risk; the devices that drive an enterprise can fail at any time or be attacked by malicious actors. Larger enterprises have learned to deal with these risks, but small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been largely left behind. This project sought to investigate the cybersecurity-related problems SMEs experience and what SMEs can do to solve them. In addition, the project examines the types of information security incidents that occur within SMEs and their financial preparedness for such security incidents. The literature findings are that SMEs lack financial preparedness for information security and natural disasters, lack an effective company culture that generates and keeps, and need a more technical or operational approach to improve information security performance. Given these observations, cost-effective solutions are presented for Incident Response Testing, Business Continuity Planning, Employee Training, and DevSecOps Automation. Suggested areas of future research include developing Infrastructure Automation strategies for SMEs, focusing on employee training and validation processes. Additional real-world data about information security breaches must also be brought forward and analyzed to assess business risk correctly
Entrepreneurial Strategies to Mitigate the High Failure Rates of Small Retail Businesses
The high rate of business failures within the first 5 years negatively affects half of startup business owners. Small retail business owners who fail to develop innovative entrepreneurial strategies experience high failure rates within the first 5 years of operation. Grounded in self-determination theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore entrepreneurial strategies small retail business owners use to support long-term sustainability. Participants were five small retail business owners from Southern Illinois who successfully used entrepreneurial strategies to reduce high failure rates. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and internal documents relevant to reducing high failure rates and analyzed using Yin’s 5-step process. Three themes emerged: (a) entrepreneurial mindset, (b) social media strategy, and (c) innovation. A key recommendation is that small retail business owners have a positive mental attitude and take calculated risks. The implications for positive social change include the potential to increase employment opportunities and to improve the quality of life for residents in local communities
Strategies for Improving Data Protection to Reduce Data Loss from Cyberattacks
Accidental and targeted data breaches threaten sustainable business practices and personal privacy, exposing all types of businesses to increased data loss and financial impacts. This single case study was conducted in a medium-sized enterprise located in Brevard County, Florida, to explore the successful data protection strategies employed by the information system and information technology business leaders. Actor-network theory was the conceptual framework for the study with a graphical syntax to model data protection strategies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews of 3 business leaders, archival documents, and field notes. Data were analyzed using thematic, analytic, and software analysis, and methodological triangulation. Three themes materialized from the data analyses: people--inferring security personnel, network engineers, system engineers, and qualified personnel to know how to monitor data; processes--inferring the activities required to protect data from data loss; and technology--inferring scientific knowledge used by people to protect data from data loss. The findings are indicative of successful application of data protection strategies and may be modeled to assess vulnerabilities from technical and nontechnical threats impacting risk and loss of sensitive data. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to alter attitudes toward data protection, creating a better environment for people to live and work; reduce recovery costs resulting from Internet crimes, improving social well-being; and enhance methods for the protection of sensitive, proprietary, and personally identifiable information, which advances the privacy rights for society
Analyzing Small Business Strategies to Prevent External Cybersecurity Threats
Some small businesses’ cybersecurity analysts lack strategies to prevent their organizations from compromising personally identifiable information (PII) via external cybersecurity threats. Small business leaders are concerned, as they are the most targeted critical infrastructures in the United States and are a vital part of the economic system as data breaches threaten the viability of these organizations. Grounded in routine activity theory, the purpose of this pragmatic qualitative inquiry was to explore strategies small business organizations utilize to prevent external cybersecurity threats. The participants were nine cybersecurity analysts who utilized strategies to defend small businesses from external threats. Data were collected via online semistructured interviews and the National Institute of Standards and Technology documentation as well as analyzed thematically. Six major themes emerged: (a) applying standards regarding external threats, (b) evaluation of cybersecurity strategies and effectiveness, (c) consistent awareness of the external threat landscape, (d) assessing threat security posture, (e) measuring the ability to address risk and prevent attacks related to external threats, and (f) centralizing communication across departments to provide a holistic perspective on threats. A key recommendation for cybersecurity analysts is to employ moving the target defenses to prevent external cybersecurity threats. The implications for positive social change include the potential to provide small business cybersecurity analysts with additional strategies to effectively mitigate the compromise of customer PII, creating more resilient economic infrastructures while strengthening communities
Analyzing Small Business Strategies to Prevent External Cybersecurity Threats
Some small businesses’ cybersecurity analysts lack strategies to prevent their organizations from compromising personally identifiable information (PII) via external cybersecurity threats. Small business leaders are concerned, as they are the most targeted critical infrastructures in the United States and are a vital part of the economic system as data breaches threaten the viability of these organizations. Grounded in routine activity theory, the purpose of this pragmatic qualitative inquiry was to explore strategies small business organizations utilize to prevent external cybersecurity threats. The participants were nine cybersecurity analysts who utilized strategies to defend small businesses from external threats. Data were collected via online semistructured interviews and the National Institute of Standards and Technology documentation as well as analyzed thematically. Six major themes emerged: (a) applying standards regarding external threats, (b) evaluation of cybersecurity strategies and effectiveness, (c) consistent awareness of the external threat landscape, (d) assessing threat security posture, (e) measuring the ability to address risk and prevent attacks related to external threats, and (f) centralizing communication across departments to provide a holistic perspective on threats. A key recommendation for cybersecurity analysts is to employ moving the target defenses to prevent external cybersecurity threats. The implications for positive social change include the potential to provide small business cybersecurity analysts with additional strategies to effectively mitigate the compromise of customer PII, creating more resilient economic infrastructures while strengthening communities