IT governance practices in the Gulf Cooperation Council region

© 2019, IGI Global. The adoption of IT governance (ITG) frameworks in organizations worldwide, along with the subsequent need to comply with regulations and standards, has placed ITG implementation decisions firmly with the boards and executives of organizations. With diverse board and executive level cultures evident in various parts of the world, the adoption of ITG frameworks depends on the ITG practices followed in each cultural context. Through an online survey, this study thus examines the existing ITG practices through the structures, processes and relational mechanisms (SPR) practices model, followed by senior management in the GCC region. In this respect, this study evaluates effective baseline ITG practices at the board and executive levels and suggests ITG structures, processes, and relational mechanisms that ITG consultants in the Gulf Co-operation Council region can follow for effective ITG implementation

Success factors model for green computing implementations

© 2019 Intellect Ltd Article. Green computing is quickly rising to the top of the agenda of many organizations. Surveys of the green computing implementations practices in United Arab Emirates (UAE) reveal the awareness level with respect to green computing practices to be 41.23 per cent. This article presents a model that provides IT decision-makers with a set of recommended actions on the implementation of green computing practices. The model is validated empirically through interviews of IT staff from eleven organizations in UAE. The intervention suggests that to reduce the carbon footprint and to become energy efficient, organizations would need to apply policies on printing, procurement and recycling. Implementation of policies is driven by budget allocations for the better utilization of existing IT equipment and for investment in innovative technologies. In addition, this study recommends that organizations encourage a green computing attitude through increased awareness, certifications, penalties or reward systems. The findings of the study are expected to be of great interest to both researchers and IT practitioners

Digital Risk Assessment Framework for Individuals: Analysis and Recommendations

As individuals increasingly engage with the digital landscape, they face a multitude of risks associated with their online activities and the security of their personal information. Individuals seek guidance in balancing the benefits and risks of the digital transformation. To effectively mitigate these risks, it is essential to establish a comprehensive Digital Risk Assessment Framework tailored to individual users. In this research, an a interpretive study have been carried out to propose a novel Digital Security Management Framework. The main contribution of this study is providing a novel approach by examining the recent recorded threats against individuals, quantifying these threats, and proposing a novel digital risk framework detailing the list of threats and the corresponding risk treatment options tailored for individuals. The scenario of the case study is a family that use personal computers to access banking and investment accounts online, engage in online shopping and also frequently use social media to share artwork and opinions. 17 types of digital risks were identified and the probability of loss and impact of each risk have been quantified using Bernoulli distribution f(L;p). The quantified values were used to prioritise mitigation measures. According to the results, and the proposed framework, suitable treatment option(s) was recommended for each risk. The results show that online scams present the biggest financial risk to individuals, that security incidents present a moderate risk, and that communication-based harms (e.g. bullying and radicalization) are difficult to quantify