Determinants of a successful Establishment of a Cyber Security Culture in Enterprises

As digitization advances, the number of cyberattacks on enterprises increases. To counteract, cyber security culture (CSC) provides a holistic approach, shaping people’s values and beliefs in its process. The objective of this research is to determine factors that lead to the successful establishment and maintenance of a CSC, by quantitatively verifying data collected in a previous qualitative study. The established conceptual model includes four main determinants and eight hypotheses. To further evaluate these factors a survey with 55 participants from industry was conducted. The collected data were statistically analyzed with a structural equation model (SEM). The analysis confirmed two factors from the research model: ‘Awareness & Knowledge’ and ‘Continuous Development’. The results emphasize the importance for enterprises to prioritize and cultivate these key factors for the successful establishment of CSC. Continuous education, embedded in a culture characterized by learning and adaptability, is necessary to defend against potential cyber threats and vulnerabilities.