Determinants of the successful Establishment of a Cyber Security Culture in SMEs
Maren Gerst, Miriam Kappe, Ralf-Christian Härting, Christoph Karg · Procedia Computer Science · 2024
As digitalization advances, the number of cyberattacks on companies increases. To counteract, Cyber Security Culture (CSC) provides a holistic approach, shaping people’s values and beliefs in its process. The successful establishment of a CSC could be especially important for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited resources. The objective of this research is to determine factors leading to the successful establishment and maintenance of a CSC in SMEs. A literature review was conducted, in which existing literature has been reviewed on the topic of CSC and associated determinants. A conceptual model including four main determinants and eight hypotheses was established. To further evaluate these factors, ten guided interviews with experts from German SMEs were conducted and evaluated by means of a qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. As a result, a research model with the determinants for the successful establishment of a CSC in SMEs was finalized. The four resulting main factors are: Awareness & knowledge, resources, support from top management and continuous development.