An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Cybersecurity Management Systems and Guidelines

Project Title:

Supervisor(s):

Professor Iqbal Gondal; Dr Taiwo Oseni

Contact person:

Iqbal Gondal iqbal.gondal@federation.edu.au

A brief description of the project:

With a goal to better detect, deter, and respond to cyber security threats, the Australian government is committed to building strong cyber defences for organisations across the public and private sectors. Cybersecurity Management Systems and guidelines are planned to promote good practice that all organisations can use. Whilst these systems will be capable of protecting critical information and infrastructure, their adoption and utilisation will determine effectiveness. Some of these systems will be created and serviced by (and for) the public sector, and some others will be developed and (or) maintained by (and for) the private sector. With a business model that primarily responds to profit margins and shareholder interests, Cybersecurity Management Systems may not always be compatible with the promotion of public good. Hence, the creation of useful and usable systems and guidelines that promote good practice in cybersecurity will require collaboration from governments, businesses, and the research community.

With an aim to contribute to the development of such systems and guidelines, this PhD project will in collaboration with the Oceania Cyber Security Centre (OCSC), build the nation’s cybersecurity capacity through the creation of guidelines that clarify the expectations and responsibilities of both public and private sectors with respect to the adoption and use of Cybersecurity Management Systems. Specifically this study will:

(i) investigate the development of cybersecurity management systems and guidelines in private and public sectors

(ii) investigate the uptake and utilisation of cybersecurity management systems in private and public sectors