Cyber security responsibilization : an evaluation of the intervention approaches adopted by the Five Eyes countries and China

Renaud, Karen and Orgeron, Craig and Warkentin, Merrill and French, P. Edward (2020) Cyber security responsibilization : an evaluation of the intervention approaches adopted by the Five Eyes countries and China. Public Administration Review, 80 (4). pp. 577-589. ISSN 0033-3352 (https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13210)

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Abstract

Governments can intervene to a greater or lesser extent in managing the risks their citizens face. They can adopt a maximal intervention approach (e.g. COVID-19) or a handsoff approach, effectively “responsibilizing” their citizens (e.g. unemployment). To manage the cyber risk, governments publish cyber-related policies. The question that we wanted to answer was: “What intervention stances do governments adopt in supporting individual citizens managing their personal cyber risk?” We pinpointed the cyber-related responsibilities that several governments espoused, applying a “responsibilization” analysis. We identified those that applied to citizens, and thereby revealed their cyber-related intervention stances. Our analysis revealed that most governments adopt a minimal cyber-related intervention stance in supporting their individual citizens. Given the increasing number of successful cyber attacks on individuals, it seems time for the consequences of this stance to be acknowledged and reconsidered. We argue that governments should support individual citizens more effectively in dealing with cyber threats.

ORCID iDs

Renaud, Karen ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7187-6531, Orgeron, Craig, Warkentin, Merrill and French, P. Edward;
  • Item type:Article
    ID code:75084
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    31 August 2020
    Published
    3 June 2020
    Published Online
    16 April 2020
    Accepted
    Keywords:cyber security, government policies, responsibility, personal risk, cyber threats, Electronic computers. Computer science, Public Administration, Sociology and Political Science, Marketing, Computer Science(all)
    Subjects:Science > Mathematics > Electronic computers. Computer science
    Department:Faculty of Science > Computer and Information Sciences
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:21 Jan 2021 12:36
    Last modified:25 Jan 2022 13:14
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/75084
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