Cybersecurity readiness is a holistic and comprehensive approach to preparing and responding to increasing and evolving cyberattacks. While small businesses continue to face the challenges of preventing and combating cyberattacks, studies focusing on small businesses and factors impacting cybersecurity readiness are lacking. Despite these findings, academic research on cybersecurity readiness is still immature, with research focusing on descriptive and theoretical or philosophical approaches without clear direction for managers and organizations to adopt research results. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the factors impacting cybersecurity readiness in small businesses. The following research questions guided this study: (1) Do the cybersecurity success factors adequately reflect the commitment culture dimension of the Cybersecurity Readiness Framework? (2) Are cybersecurity success factors confirmed in the commitment culture dimension related to cybersecurity readiness? (3) Does the relationship between cybersecurity success factors confirmed in the commitment culture dimension and cybersecurity readiness differ by small business characteristics? This study analyzed data from 401 participants from small business decision-makers with advanced operational knowledge. Data analysis procedures included confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression.
The study findings indicated that six cybersecurity success factors represented a commitment culture, and four factors were predictors of cybersecurity readiness in small businesses. The hypothesized model had a poor model fit; however, a revised factor model consisting of six cybersecurity success factors exhibited a favorable model fit and explained approximately 82 % of the variation in cybersecurity readiness.
The study concluded that six key factors of cybersecurity readiness adequately represent a culture of commitment, and four were predictors of cybersecurity readiness in small businesses. Further, small business characteristics were not significant predictors of cybersecurity readiness. This study provided empirical evidence about the key factors of cybersecurity readiness most and least likely to mitigate risk, protect organizations from cyber threats, and produce a culture of commitment. Additionally, this study contributed knowledge and direction about holistically approaching and establishing cybersecurity readiness in small businesses. Overall, this research contributes to our understanding of key factors of cybersecurity readiness needed to build cultures of commitment in small businesses.
INDEX WORDS: Cybersecurity, Small business, Commitment, Readiness, Culture, Organization
INDEX WORDS: Cybersecurity, Small business, Commitment, Readiness, Culture, Organization