Information security management : a case study of an information security culture

This thesis argues that in order to establish a sound information security culture it is necessary to look at organisation's information security systems in a socio- technical context. The motivation for this research stems from the continuing concern of ineffective information security in organisations, leading to potentially significant monetary losses. It is important to address both technical and non- technical aspects when dealing with information security management. Culture has been identified as an underlying determinant of individuals' behaviour and this extends to information security culture, particularly in developing countries. This research investigates information security culture in the Saudi Arabia context. The theoretical foundation for the study is based on organisational and national culture theories. A conceptual framework for this study was constructed based on Peterson and Smith's (1997) model of national culture. This framework guides the study of national, organisational and technological values and their relationships to the development of information security culture. Further, the study seeks to better understand how these values might affect the development and deployment of an organisation's information security culture. Drawing on evidence from three exploratory case studies, an emergent conceptual framework was developed from the traditional human behaviour and the social environment perspectives used in social work, This framework contributes to in- formation security management by identifying behaviours related to four modes of information security practice. These modes provide a sound basis that can be used to evaluate individual organisational members' behaviour and the adequacy of ex- isting security measures. The results confirm the plausibility of the four modes of practice. Furthermore, a final framework was developed by integrating the four modes framework into the research framework. The outcomes of the three case stud- ies demonstrate that some of the national, organisational and technological values have clear impacts on the development and deployment of organisations' informa- tion security culture. This research, by providing an understanding the in uence of national, organi- sational and technological values on individuals' information security behaviour, contributes to building a theory of information security culture development within an organisational context. The research reports on the development of an inte- grated information security culture model that highlights recommendations for developing an information security culture. The research framework, introduced by this research, is put forward as a robust starting point for further related work in this area.

Improving information security management in nonprofit organisations

All organisations, irrespective of size and type, need effective information security management (ISM) practices to protect vital organisational in- formation assets. However, little is known about the information security management practices of nonprofit organisations. Australian nonprofit organisations (NPOs) employed 889,900 people, managed 4.6 million volunteers and contributed $40,959 million to the economy during 2006-2007 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009). This thesis describes the perceptions of information security management in two Australian NPOs and examines the appropriateness of the ISO 27002 information security management standard in an NPO context. The overall approach to the research is interpretive. A collective case study has been performed, consisting of two instrumental case studies with the researcher being embedded within two NPOs for extended periods of time. Data gathering and analysis was informed by grounded theory and action research, and the Technology Acceptance Model was utilised as a lens to explore the findings and provide limited generalisability to other contexts. The major findings include a distinct lack of information security management best practice in both organisations. ISM Governance and risk management was lacking and ISM policy was either outdated or non- existent. While some user focused ISM practices were evident, reference to standards, such as ISO 27002, were absent. The main factor that negatively impacted on ISM practices was the lack of resources available for ISM in the NPOs studied. Two novel aspects of information security dis- covered in this research were the importance of accuracy and consistency of information. The contribution of this research is a preliminary understanding of ISM practices and perceptions in NPOs. Recommendations for a new approach to managing information security management in nonprofit organisations have been proposed.

Security management : modelling critical infrastructure

Secure management of Australia's commercial critical infrastructure presents ongoing challenges to owners and the government. Currently a high-level iriformation sharing collaboration between the government and business manages complex security issues, but critical irifrastructure protection also lacks a scalable model exhibiting the overall structure of critical infrastructure at various levels, sectors and sub-sectors. This research builds on the work of Marasea and Warren (2003) to establish a representative model of Australia's critical irifrastructure; discusses the boundaries between critical infrastructures, and considers the existence andpotential irifluence ofcritical irifrastructure relationships.

Deception: a tool and curse for security management

With the proliferation of electronic information systems over the last two decades, the integrity of the stored data and its uses have become an essential component of effective organisational functioning. This digitised format, used in input, output, processing, storage, and communication, has given those wishing to deceive new opportunities. This paper examines the nature of deception and its potential as a new security risk in the information age.

Security management: an information systems setting

Information Systems have been used for many years to analyze problems and compare options in a managed environment. The introduction of computer and information security systems into such an environment is a typical example of a situation to which an Information Systems approach can be applied. In this paper, we examine the issues peculiar to implementation of security in a healthcare environment, looking specifically at one such specially designed system, SIM-ETHICS, which takes a participational approach.

Information security, cyber crime, and infrastructure protection : information security management within Australian healthcare organisations

Information security is now recognised as critical factor within the healthcare industry. With the gradual move from paper -based to electronic information there is an even greater need for protection. However, financial and operational constraints often exist which influence the practicality of developing a secure system. A new baseline security standard, the Health Information Security Management Implementation Guide, has been drafted which applies specifically to the unique information security requirements of the healthcare industry. The aim of this paper is to look at the effectiveness of the health information security standard and the development of information security within the Australian healthcare industry.

E-business security management for Australian micro SMEs - a case study

Small and Medium Business Enterprises (SMEs) make a significant contribution to the economic viability of the Australian economy. The benefits of performing business in an on-line environment has been realised by Australian SMEs as the use of the Internet for performing business activities both with consumers and other businesses continues to increase. The findings of an empirical study and other evidence available indicate the uptake and advancement of performing e-business activities shall be dependent on two key complementary elements: first, the ability of Australian SMEs to secure their e-business systems; and second, the availability of an approach to recommend a practical e-business security management strategy. This paper presents the results of a case study which applied a previously developed methodology to a micro SME e-business system. The purpose was to validate the ability of the Australian Small to Medium Enterprise E-business Security Methodology (ASME-EBSM) to provide an effective security management strategy for Australian SMEs. The outcome demonstrated that this approach was both feasible and realistic for providing recommendations to secure the e-business activities performed and to protect the micro SME e-business system.

E-business security management for Australian small SMEs - a case study

Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role within the Australian economy. There is a strong business case for Australian SMEs to be involved in e-business, which has been realised as the use of the Internet for performing business activities continues to increase. The evidence available indicates the uptake and advancement of performing e-business activities shall be dependent on the ability of Australian SMEs to secure their e-business systems. This paper presents the results of a case study, which applied a previously developed methodology to a small SME e-business system. The purpose was to validate the ability of the Australian Small to Medium Enterprise E-business Security Methodology (ASME-EBSM) to provide an effective security management strategy for Australian SMEs. The outcome demonstrated that this approach was both feasible and realistic for providing recommendations to secure the e-business activities performed and to protect the small SME e-business system.

Information security management curriculum development : an Australian example

The development of Information Security as a discipline has only occurred in recent years. Currently Information Security topics are widely taught at tertiary institutions but these topics are taught from a technical perspective and in other cases from a business perspective.

This paper discusses the development of a new security curriculum within Australia and how Australian tertiary institutions responded to that curriculum, the paper also puts forwards a framework that assists in curriculum development.