Date of Conferral

3-13-2025

Degree

Doctor of Information Technology (D.I.T.)

School

Information Systems and Technology

Advisor

Dr. Cheryl Waters

Abstract

Nigerian government organizations face significant challenges in complying with cybersecurity policies, threatening the security and efficiency of their e-government systems. IT leadership groups are concerned that compliance issues could lead to data breaches, service disruptions, and diminished public trust, ultimately hindering economic growth and digital transformation efforts. This qualitative multiple-case study, framed through the lens of neo-institutional theory, aimed to explore the cybersecurity policies and effective compliance strategies employed by information security officers to secure e-government systems against cyberattacks. The participants consisted of nine information security officers from three information security-certified government institutions in central Nigeria. Data collection included semi-structured interviews conducted via virtual meetings. NVivo, a data analysis software, was used to code the interviews and organize the study themes. Member checking of the theme coding and triangulation with multiple organizations helped strengthen the final themes. The analysis revealed five key themes: policy formulation and compliance, technological controls and solutions, training and awareness programs, management support and buy-in, and risk assessment and management. The study highlights effective compliance strategies that government cybersecurity leaders can use to strengthen e-government system security. For example, IT leaders should promote the implementation of effective cybersecurity strategies to secure e-government systems. Doing so can drive positive social change by improving government information sharing and service availability, as well as enhancing transactional experiences for citizens.

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