Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Brandon Simmons

Abstract

All internet connected organizations are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks due to information security policy noncompliance of personnel. The problem is important to information technology (IT) firms, organizations with IT integration, and any consumer who has shared personal information online, because noncompliance is the single greatest threat to cybersecurity, which leads to expensive breaches that put private information in danger. Grounded in the protection motivation theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to use multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between perceived importance, organizational compliance, management involvement, seeking guidance, and rate of cybersecurity attack. The research question for this study was focused on the relationship between perceived importance of cybersecurity, senior management involvement, use of organizational ISPC, seeking of information or guidance on cybersecurity, and organizational security breach incidence. Data was collected from the United Kingdom’s 2021 Cyber Security Breaches Survey. Multiple linear regression analysis yielded that the four independent variables were not predictive of instances of cybersecurity breach or attack. The implications for positive social change include the potential to actively promote and publicly address cybersecurity as personal privacy increasing becomes a matter of public safety. One key recommendation is for IT leaders to pursue methodologically rigorous and uniform operationalization throughout IT research and practice, including the pursuit of replicable data of detailed resolution. The results of this study may potentially be used to reduce the risks for cybersecurity breaches, which ultimately contributes to social change by furthering the right of privacy and the protection of personal information.

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