Cyber Attacks: Impact on Confidential Marketing Data in Australia MNCs

This report investigates the impact of cyber threats on the confidential marketing data of Australian multinational consumer goods companies. It aims to identify the challenges these companies face due to data loss from cyber attacks, emphasizing the importance of confidential data for growth and service provision. The research explores the potential loss of consumer trust resulting from these cyber threats. It addresses questions about the challenges faced by multinational companies, the significance of confidential data for their services and growth, and the potential impact of cybercrimes on consumer trust. The study hypothesizes that cyber attacks significantly affect the loss of confidential marketing data. Methodologically, it employs interpretivism and exploratory research design, utilizing secondary data sources and non-probability convenient sampling, with data analysis involving descriptive statistical tools. Ethical considerations and limitations, such as time constraints and resource availability, are also discussed.

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Abstract
The interdependencies of the functioning of the various sub system in the smart grid is
generally affected by the smart attack tending to be vulnerable and reduction in the efficiency
and reliability. The cyber threats tend to have negative impact and consequences on the
productivity of the multinational organizations. The aim of this study is to identify the effects
of the losses of the confidential marketing data due to the attacks of the cyber crimes.

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Introduction
The upcoming development of the smart devices at various of the layers with the
following by the integration of the network of the communications tends to introduce severe
cyber threats. The interdependencies of the functioning of the various sub system in the smart
grid is generally affected by the smart attack tending to be vulnerable and reduction in the
efficiency and reliability (Ben-Asher & Gonzalez, 2015). The vulnerabilities of the cyber
security have become even more evident due to the exiting cyber frame structure of the
multinational organizations.
Background of the study
This research proposal delivers the effects of the losses of the confidential marketing
data due to the attacks of the cyber crimes. The report furthermore highlights the context of
the challenges faced by the organization in Australia which are generally multinational
consumer goods companies. The multinational organizations of the country of Australia
generally consists of the marketing data that includes potential sensitive data sets like the
information regarding the customers of the company, the strategies of the future products
and the services of the company in discussion.
Problem statement
In the recent time, the context of the cyber crime has been one of the major illegal
activities that are generally undertaken by the criminals for the gain in the finances. Such of
the activities tend to exploits the vulnerabilities with the usage of the internet, platform of the
social media and the electronic systems for illicit access of the services or the information
that are generally used by the business and the government. The society being more
dependent on the accuracy, continued availability and the confidentiality of the information
and the communications, the cost of the cyber attacks and the crimes are immense over the

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production of the multinational organizations. The study highlights how the Australian
multinational consumer goods companies face challenges due to the loss of their confidential
data due to the cyber attacks.
Research rationale
It is important to maintain the confidentiality of the data of the customers of the
multinational organizations to make the business run successful. Illegal obtaining of the data
set at some of the immense prices are some of the factor of the cyber threats that are used by
many of the competitors for the development of the strategies of their own product ranges.
Research aims
The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of the loss of the confidential market
data of the Australian multinational consumer goods due to the cyber attacks. The research
aims to find out the various challenges faced by the multinational companies of Australia
together with the understanding of the importance of the confidential data of the company
towards its growth and services. The research also aims to explain the potential loss of the
data of the consumer good companies towards the loss of the consumer trust due to the cyber
threats.
Research questions
1. What are the challenges faced by the multinational companies due to the loss of the
market data due to cyber threats?
2. What is the importance of the confidential data of the companies towards its services
and growth?
3. What is the potential impact of the cyber crimes and threats on the consumer trust?

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Research hypothesis
H0: The cyber attacks does not effects on the loss of the confidential marketing data of the
multinational organizations of Australia
H1: The cyber attacks effects on the loss of the confidential marketing data of the
multinational organizations of Australia
Literature review
Challenges faced by the companies due to the loss of the confidential data
The cyber threats for the multinational organizations throughout the world have been
an are of growing concern (Guo et al., 2018). The data integrity attacks together with the
hacking and manipulating of the data sets of the company by the hackers and the third parties
often tends to mislead the companies towards making wring decisions. According to Agwu
(2014) in the research study stated the potential impact of the loss of the confidential data of
the customers of a consumer goods company led the multination company face huge loss in
the production and the reputation in the market. This drastic fall was also due to the product
duplicity of the company by another rival company. As per the internal company analysis,
Ajayi (2016) in the research paper clearly stated how the loss of confidential data set of a
company results in the loss of the revenue and the company and the damage of the reputation
of the company. In the modern digital age, the news tend to ravel fast and the results of the
loss of the confidential data loss results in negative publicity and permanent damage of the
business reputation. Ambikar (2014) illustrated the instances of the exposure of the
confidential information which invites a lump some amount of fine by the office of the
consumers and legal actions against the multinational organizations due to negligence.

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Ablon et al. (2016) in the research paper focused on the factor of the loss of the
customer loyalty after the loss of the data from the company. The loss of the confidential data
set for the company tend to have number of non financial and economic effects targeting the
worst possible outcome, the permanent business failure.
Impacts of cyber threats
Successful cyber attacks tend to cause major damage to the business of the
multinational organizations (Watkins, 2014). It affects the bottom line, the trust of the
consumer and the base on which the consumer has business has been standing. According to
the analysis of Klimburg and Zylberberg (2015), the relevant economic cost of the cyber
attack on the multinational organizations results in some of the substantial financial loss.
These includes theft of the financial information’s related to the details of the bank and the
details of the payment cards. Singhal and Kar (2015) in the research study pointed the factors
of theft of the corporate information, theft of the money and the loss of the contract of the
business contributing to the effects of the cyber threats (Noel et al., 2015).
Thus it can be summarized that the cyber threats tend to have negative impact and
consequences on the productivity of the multinational organizations. The loss of the
confidential data sets of the company including the financial data, the consumer data which
are the major components of the business results in the uncontrollable risks for the
multinational organization to sustain in the market (Biener, Eling & Wirfs, 2015).
Research methodology
Towards the analysis and the development of a study in a detail basis, the research
philosophy is considered to be an important option. There lies three of the main categories of
the research philosophies namely interpretivism, positivism and the realism. According to the
research by Yin (2017), interpretivism helps in dealing with the management activities and

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the functions. In this particular study the interpretvism research philosophy will be used since
this will help the researcher to investigate the issue in a critical and logical manner. Among
the three major categories of the research design, the descriptive, the explanatory and the
exploratory, the study will include the exploratory design. This is because, this design helps
in the development of the connection or the relationship among the two variables under
consideration (Flick, 2015).
Research Outline and Onion
For conducting this particular research study, the data that has been used is basically
raw data from the secondary sources. The research philosophy that will be used are
interpretivism.
The research onion will basically helped for the development of the research paper.
Each of the layer of the onion will help the researcher with some of the authentic and
efficient information that are directly connected to the study. The research study will
furthermore use numerous tools for gaining of the deep knowledge regarding the topic of the
research. The research onion includes six layers. These are research philosophy, strategies of
research, procedures, choices, time and the techniques of the research. These designs will
help the researcher for meeting the objectives of the research study in an efficient way.

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Figure: The Research onion
(Source: Saunders et al., 2009)
Data collection method –
This study will basically depend on the collection of the raw data sources. The data
sources will be collected from the company websites, the newspaper articles publishing the
downturn of the company, the financial report of the company and the governmental websites
of the country of Australia publishing the effects of the cyber threats on the multinational
organizations.
The sampling technique that will be used for the conduction of this particular study is
non probability convenient sampling technique.
Analysis technique
For carrying out efficient analysis of the data collected from the secondary sources by
the means of research , the collected data will then be transformed in percentages and
numeric’s for the obtaining of the comparison and the comprehensive data’s of the gathered
information. This would be the variable data in the paper. For the effective evaluation of the
data, the numerical digits thus obtained will be demonstrated in the form of the charts,
graphical representations. Some of the descriptive statistical tools that will be used for the
data analysis and calculation are the tools of standard deviation, mean, median, mode and the
correlation and regression analysis of the research data findings.
Ethical considerations
Strict guidelines related to ethics will be followed during the process of the entire
research study. For the purpose of the collection of the raw data from the secondary sources,

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proper referencing and citation of the sources of the data will be followed to avoid any sort of
activities and actions related to plagiarism.
Limitations
As per the view of Yin (2017) there have to be a number of various limitations of a
research study no matter the level of the explanations. Time has always been an issue or
problem targeting the limitation in the research study. In addition to the time, the lack of the
availability of convenient resourced of the topic is also major factor of limitations of the
study. It might further happen that the few of the resources remain inaccessible. However the
research study has to be initiated to be planned in a appropriate way towards helping for the
completion of the research in the correct way.

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Proposed timeline
Research Activities Week
(1-3)
Week
(4-10)
Week
(11-
13)
Week
(14-17)
Week
(18-21)
Week
(22-
23)
Week
24
Topic selection 
Data collection –
Secondary
 
Layout of the research 
Literature review of the
research
  
Interpretation and
analysis of collected data
  
Findings  
Conclusion 
Draft formation  
Submission 
Figure: The Gantt chart
Source: (created by the author)

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References and Bibliography
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data breach notifications and loss of personal information. Rand Corporation.
Agwu, M. E. (2014). Reputational risk impact of internal frauds on bank customers in
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192.
Ajayi, E. F. G. (2016). The Impact of Cyber Crimes on Global Trade and Commerce.
Available at SSRN.
Ambikar, H. (2014). U.S. Patent No. 8,756,087. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office.
Ben-Asher, N., & Gonzalez, C. (2015). Effects of cyber security knowledge on attack
detection. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, 51-61.
Biener, C., Eling, M., & Wirfs, J. H. (2015). Insurability of cyber risk: An empirical analysis.
The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance-Issues and Practice, 40(1), 131-158.
Flick, U., 2015. Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research
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