Date of Conferral

4-21-2025

Date of Award

April 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Danetra Quarterman

Abstract

Large retail organizations are the most targeted for information security (IS) and cybersecurity threats and attacks resulting in data breaches in the United States. The IS strategies and policies are essential to IS managers because they use them to protect, mitigate, and prevent cyberattack occurrences with potential organizational and customer data theft and disruption of critical business operations. Von Bertalanffy’s general system theory and Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory of reasoned action grounded this study. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies used by large retail organization IS managers to make informed decisions for protecting against cyberattacks that may result in data breach occurrences. The participants comprised 11 IS managers from four large U.S.-based retail organizations. Data collection comprised questionnaires, semistructured virtual interviews, and publicly available archival data. Six themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (a) IS and cybersecurity threats/attacks, (b) cybersecurity protection and mitigation tools and techniques, (c) IS and cybersecurity strategies and effectiveness, (d) IS and cybersecurity policies, (e) insider (employee) IS and cybersecurity development, and (f) recommendations for improving cybersecurity prevention and mitigation programs. Large retail organization IS managers could use these identified strategies to mitigate challenges with the currency of technology change needed to protect against cyberattacks. The implications for positive social change include the potential for IS managers to make informed policy decisions about protecting customer data, reducing data breaches, and leading to a more stable retail industry with steady economic growth that benefits communities.

Download

Share

 
COinS