|
Title:
|
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ROLE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY IN SMES IN THE SOUTHEAST OF IRELAND |
|
Author(s):
|
Amanda Freeman , Liam Doyle |
|
ISBN:
|
978-972-8924-35-5 |
|
Editors:
|
Piet Kommers (series editors: Piet Kommers, Pedro Isaías and Nian-Shing Chen) |
|
Year:
|
2007 |
|
Edition:
|
Single |
|
Keywords:
|
Information Systems Security, Security, Small to Medium Sized Enterprises, SMEs, Threats, Insider Attacks, Policies,
Information Technology, IT, Informatio |
|
Type:
|
Full Paper |
|
First Page:
|
270 |
|
Last Page:
|
276 |
|
Language:
|
English |
|
Cover:
|
|
|
Full Contents:
|
click to dowload 
|
|
Paper Abstract:
|
Research indicates that the protection of information has been a major challenge since the beginning of the computer age.
There is however, a paucity of academic research, which examines the protection of information in SMEs in Ireland. The
purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of what role information systems security plays in SMEs within the South
East of Ireland. This paper examines the role of SMEs in Ireland and the impact of SMEs not having adequate security
controls in place. It then investigates the implementation of information systems security and the problems that SMEs face in
carrying out this implementation. A quantitative approach has been used to gather the relevant empirical data for the analysis.
A forty-three-item questionnaire was mailed to a sample of 100 SMEs extracted from the total population of SMEs in the
South East of Ireland with a response rate of 57%.
The findings revealed that nearly all SMEs questioned said that they were highly dependent on their computer systems. Yet
the vast majority of respondents said that they did not feel that their company was prepared for a security attack. The top
three most common security attacks faced by SMEs were viruses, spyware and insider abuse of Internet access, yet, nearly all
respondents said that they had anti-virus software and a firewall installed. In general the respondents said that they did not
find it hard to find staff with the appropriate security expertise, yet this research shows that over seventy percent of the people
responsible for IT security with these companies do not have a formal IT qualification. Budget constraints, technical
challenges, complexity of products and lack of end user awareness were described as the main obstacles that the SMEs felt
they faced in terms of securing their organisation. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
