Library and Information Science Commons^™

Digital Identity: A Human-Centered Risk Awareness Study, Toufic N. Chebib

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cybersecurity threats and compromises have been at the epicenter of media attention; their risk and effect on people’s digital identity is something not to be taken lightly. Though cyber threats have affected a great number of people in all age groups, this study focuses on 55 to 75-year-olds, as this age group is close to retirement or already retired. Therefore, a notable compromise impacting their digital identity can have a major impact on their life.

To help guide this study, the following research question was formulated, “What are the risk perceptions of individuals, between the ages of 55 and 75 …

Strategies Used To Mitigate Social Engineering Attacks, Lindiwe T. Hove

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cybercriminal activity performed widely through social engineering attacks is estimated to be one of the substantial challenges the world will face over the next 20 years. Cybercriminal activity is important to chief information security officers (CISOs) because these attacks represent the largest transfer of economic wealth in history and pose risks to the incentives for organizational innovation and investment and eventually become more profitable than the global trade of all major illegal drugs combined. Grounded in the balanced control theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies CISOs use to mitigate social engineering attacks within their …

Effective Strategies Small Business Leaders Use To Address Ransomware, William Jason Tuttle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business leaders face a wide range of cybersecurity threats. Ransomware is a specific cybersecurity threat that cybercriminals can use to deny small business leaders’ access to data in exchange for a ransom payment. Grounded in routine activity conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective strategies small business leaders use to address ransomware. Data were collected from 5 leaders of small businesses in the southeast region of the United States. Data sources included interviews and archival documents. Data were analyzed using Yin’s 5 step process. The analysis revealed 3 primary themes: ransomware strategy, …