Discovering Information Security Management

Abstract: This thesis is concerned with issues relating to the management of information security in organisations, motivated by the need for cost-efficient information security.It is based on the assumption that: in order to achieve cost-efficient information security, the point of departure must be knowledge about the empirical reality in which the management of information security takes place.The data gathering instruments employed are questionnaires with open-ended questions and unstructured research interviews. The empirical material is analysed, and conclusions are drawn following the principles of Grounded Theory. Data sources are professionals in the area of information security management, including information security consultants (n=13), certification auditors (n=8), and information security managers (n=8).The main contributions are: an integrated model illustrating the experts’ perceptions concerning the objectives, actors, resources, threats, and countermeasures of information security management; a framework for the evaluation, formation, and implementation of information security management systems; a new approach for the evaluation of information security in organisations; a set of success factors concerning the formation of information security management systems; and a problem inventory concerning the value and assessment of information security education and training.