Exploring Cybersecurity Issues and Challenges for Businesses

This report examines the critical cybersecurity issues facing businesses today, highlighting the increasing reliance on computer systems and the associated risks of cyber attacks. It identifies key challenges in implementing effective cybersecurity measures, including the evolution of ransomware, AI expansion enabling more sophisticated hacking techniques, IoT threats due to complex network interconnections, blockchain revolution, vulnerability of server-less applications, drone jacking, and internal threats. The report uses both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to explore these challenges, aiming to provide solutions for businesses to mitigate cyber risks and protect their systems and data. It emphasizes the escalating costs associated with cyber attacks and the importance of businesses staying vigilant and proactive in addressing these evolving threats to minimize potential losses.

Running head: CYBERSECURITY ISSUES IN BUSINESSES
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Cybersecurity issues in businesses
Name of Student
Institutional Affiliation
Name of Professor
Date

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Table of contents
Cybersecurity issues in businesses..................................................................................................3
Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
Project objective...........................................................................................................................4
Project scope................................................................................................................................4
Literature review..........................................................................................................................5
The research questions/hypothesis...............................................................................................8
The main question........................................................................................................................8
Secondary questions.....................................................................................................................8
Research Design and Methodology.............................................................................................9
Research limitations...................................................................................................................11
Research plan.............................................................................................................................12
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................13
References..................................................................................................................................14
Appendices.................................................................................................................................16

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Cybersecurity issues in businesses
Introduction
In the last few years, the use of computers in different fields has been rising with the
ever-rising technologies. The management teams of different fields have realized that computers
are very effective and efficient as compared to human beings which makes their output to be
higher and better than that of human beings (Jacko, 2012). The business field has not been left
behind but has been in the front line to incorporate computers in most of its operations. The
incorporation of computers in business has helped to improve the performance of the businesses
in a great way as computers are well known for their high efficiencies and effectiveness in
performing different operations. Despite the improvement in the performance and many other
benefits of computers in businesses, the computers have made the business to incur great risks
and losses which mainly result from computer failure and cybersecurity attacks which are very
rampant in the contemporary business world (Walters, 2014, pp.1-5). In this paper, we are going
to discuss the cyber attacks and cybersecurity issues in businesses which has been one of the
major issues facing the businesses which have incorporated the use of computers in most of their
operations. Cyber attacks are the attacks which are normally directed to computer information
systems, computer infrastructures, or computer networks. These attacks are usually conducted by
unauthorized personnel who try to access some systems or some information which they are not
allowed to access with the aims of gaining some personal benefits. Cybersecurity issues, on the
other hand, are the issues related to technologies, processes, and the controls which are designed
with the aims of protecting the systems, the networks, and the data from cyber attacks (Privette,
Carlton, and Kelly-Kilgore, 2014). Businesses have been working day in day out to make sure

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they will come up with good cybersecurity systems which will help to protect their systems,
networks, and data from the malicious people who are always working hard to hack the
businesses’ systems and information. However, their efforts to establish strong and reliable
cybersecurity systems to protect their information have been faced with very serious challenges
which we shall discuss in this paper.
Project objective
The main objective of our report is to determine some of the major challenges which face
the businesses when they to implement some of the cybersecurity measures which can help to
reduce the cases of cyber attacks. Discussing and understanding these challenges will help us
come up with some reasonable solutions which can be employed by the businesses to address the
challenges and thus reduce cases of cyber attacks in their organizations.
Project scope
This project will mainly focus on the issues of cyberattacks in businesses and some
cybersecurity measures which can be used by the businesses to address the cases of cyber attacks
in their organizations. The project will also give serious emphasis on some of the main
challenges which face the businesses when they try fight cyber attacks in their organizations
through the implementation of some cybersecurity measures. Therefore, the scope of the project
revolves around the issues of cyberattacks and cybersecurity issues in businesses which use
computer systems in their operations.

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Literature review
From assignment 1, we know that cybersecurity entails the technologies, the progress,
and the different practices which are normally done with the aims of protecting different
networks, programs, and different devices from cyber attacks which may occur in forms of
viruses, spams, and many other kinds of online attacks (Fielder et al., 2016, pp. 13-23).
Cybersecurity is of great importance in businesses as it helps in the protection of the
businesses data or information whose leakage can have some detrimental effects on the
businesses. The management teams of the businesses normally share and transmit data some
highly sensitive or secretive data through some computer networks, and therefore it’s very
important for the businesses to be very keen on the security of the data as leakage of this data
may seriously affect the performance of the businesses (Graham, Olson & Howard, 2016).
Research has shown that the cases of cyber attacks have been escalating at an alarming rate for
the last few years and different organizations are becoming more vulnerable to different types of
cyber attacks as their cases and transmissions continue to escalate. Therefore, it’s important for
the businesses to capitalize on the security of their data and information else they will end up in
big trouble. Businesses have been looking for the best cybersecurity measures to implement in
their businesses to address the cases of cyber attacks. However, most of these cybersecurity
measures have been faced with some serious challenges which make it very hard for the
businesses to use them to fully address the cyber attacks issues in their organizations.
The challenges of cybersecurity for businesses

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According to a study which was conducted by Graham, Olson, and Howard (2016), the
cyber criminals will have created about 3.5 million new, unfilled cybersecurity jobs by 2020.
This marks a 350% increase when compared to the cybersecurity jobs which were available in
2016 which means the cases of cyber attacks continue to increase as the cyber criminals are ever-
working to increase them, and this makes it very hard for the businesses to control the cases of
cyber attacks in their organizations. Businesses spend huge sums of money annually to address
the cyberattacks cases in their organizations but they have not yet been able to phase out this
threat completely. In 2017 alone, it was realized that about $86.4 billion was spent by the
businesses in their efforts to address the challenge of cyber attacks in their organizations and
even after spending all this amount, they were not able to address the problem completely. In
2018, the cases of cyber attacks are expected to become even worse and the businesses will most
likely spend a higher amount of money in their attempt to address the challenge. There are many
cybersecurity challenges and their trends keep on rising which makes it very hard to address the
challenges. Some of the main cybersecurity challenges faced by the businesses as they try to
address the cyberattacks cases in their organizations include:
The evolution of the ransom software. The ransom software disrupts the operations of
businesses in a great way and it keeps on evolving with time which makes it very hard for the
business to address it completely.
AI expansion. With the ever-rising technology, the AI (artificial intelligence) keeps on
expanding which has made the hackers gain more computer knowledge on how to conduct their
hacking with much expertise and more new ways, and this makes it very hard for the businesses
to control the hacking of their systems even though they have also to incorporate artificial

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intelligence to knowledge to try and improve the security of their systems (Anitha, Paul, and
Kumari, 2016, pp. 25352-57).
IoT threats. The internet of things threats arise from the fact that with the modern
information technology knowledge, most businesses have employed very complex network
interconnections to link most of their services and enhance their operations which for sure has
helped to enhance their operations (Xia et al., 2012, pp.1101-1105). However, these very
complex network interconnections also increase the chances of leakage of information and also
increases the chances of the systems being hacked as it’s very difficult for the businesses to
control them perfectly.
Block Chain Revolution. With the blockchain revolution and the development of
different kinds of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoins, the cases of cyber attacks have increased
and it has become very hard to control them with these complex blockchain revolutions in the
business world.
The vulnerability of server-less applications. Some of the businesses have some server-
less applications and it’s very hard to control cyberattacks with these server-less applications and
thus these businesses find it very hard to control cyberattacks in their enterprises.
Drone jacking. Some businesses use drones and in new and innovative ways and with
these drones, it’s very hard to control cyberattacks as the drones can be easily hijacked by the
cyber criminals or the hackers (Liu et al., 2015).
The internal threats. The businesses also face serious threats of internal cyber attacks
which can be conducted by the computer experts working within the businesses. It’s a bit

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challenging to control such cyber attacks as the businesses may not know the exact culprits doing
the attacks.
There are many other challenges which faces the businesses as they try to control the
cases of cyber attacks in their enterprises and it’s up to the businesses to be very keen to make
sure they are very keen to identify these challenges and act accordingly to minimize the cases of
cyber attacks in their organizations as much as possible.
From the discussion, we can see that cyber attacks are very common and serious
challenges which face the businesses and the businesses should be very keen to address these
challenges else they might end up incurring very huge losses.
The research questions/hypothesis
As already mentioned, this paper aims to study cyberattacks, cybersecurity measures, and
some of the major challenges which face the cybersecurity measures which can help to address
the cases of cyber attacks. The research questions of our research will be:
The main question
What are the major challenges which face the cybersecurity measures?
This main question will address some of the major challenges which face the businesses
as they try to implement the cybersecurity measures in their organizations.
Secondary questions
What are effects of cyber attacks on businesses?

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What measures should businesses take to address the challenges which face the cybersecurity
measures?
Research Design and Methodology
To get the best solutions to our research questions, we shall use both qualitative and
quantitative research design methodologies which will help us to collect the required information
(data) about the major challenges which businesses face when trying to implement cybersecurity
measures, the main effects of cyber attacks in businesses, and the best measures which the
organizations should take address the challenges they face with the cybersecurity measures. The
qualitative research design will mainly be used when dealing with all the non-numerical data or
information while the quantitative research design will be used when dealing with all the
numerical data (Hakim, 2012).
In qualitative research design, the main steps which we shall follow are:
Deciding the main questions to be researched
Doing a brief literature review to know more about the questions and the best ways we
can gather the solutions to our questions.
Considering the best sampling method and the most ideal sample size which we shall use
to gather the required information
Collecting the required data or information using the most appropriate data collection
methods like interviews and questionnaires (Sullivan-Bolyai, Bova, and Singh, 2014). For us to

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get more valid and more reliable data, we shall use a big sample size (of a about 1000 or more)
and be very open and friendly to the people we shall meet in the businesses during the data
collection, and this will motivate them and make them cooperate and give valid information
about cyberattacks and cybersecurity measures in their businesses.
Clearly defining all the variable specifications used in the research which will make our
data analysis easy and understandable.
Preparing a report which will describe the whole research process more so the data
analysis and all the findings of the qualitative research (Taylor, Bogdan, and DeVault, 2015).
In quantitative research design, the main steps which we shall follow are:
Deciding the main questions to be addressed in the research.
Defining the main purpose or the objectives of the research.
Carrying out a brief literature review to understand the main topic of research in details.
Formulating the hypotheses to be used in the research. The hypotheses help the
researchers to explain what they expect to get or disapprove from doing the research.
Selecting the best sampling technique and the sample size to be used during the data
collection. Just like in qualitative research, we shall use a big sample size of about 1000 or more
which will improve the reliability of the collected data or information as it will come from many
and different businesses (Marshall et al., 2013, pp.11-22). To improve the validity of the
collected data or information, we shall be more friendly and frank to the businesses which will
help them to give more valid responses.

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Collecting the required data or information where we shall use the best and the most
appropriate data collection methods, which in our case will be questionnaires and open
interviews.
Defining all the variables used and doing a detailed data analysis to analyze all the
collected data and information. To do so, we shall use some software such as Excel, SPSS,
STATA, or any other appropriate software used to analyze numerical data (Gnanadesikan, 2011).
Preparing a report which shall discuss the whole research process and the findings for
future references (Bryman, 2017, pp.57-78).
Research limitations
The research is expected to be faced with some limitations which the researchers should
look for some ways to address them. Some of the major limitations of the research include:
Financial limitations. The research requires a huge amount of capital else the researchers
will not get all their desired outcomes from the research (Hillier, 2012). The researchers must
come up with some ways to look for enough capital which will help the research to flow
smoothly as expected.
Non-cooperative respondents in the businesses. The researchers may come across some
respondents who won’t cooperate with them during the research and so they must be well-
prepared to handle such challenges during the research (Shipman, 2014).

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Inaccessible businesses. The researchers may also come across some businesses which
might refuse to participate in the research, and so they must also be ready to face that limitation
and address it as required.
Research plan
The whole research process is expected to take about three months. The research plan to
be followed during the research is shown in the table below:
Duration Dates Activity
Week 1 and week 2 26th May to 9th June 2018 Planning and deciding on the
questions of research and the
objectives
Week 3 and week 4 10th June to 25th June 2018 Doing a detailed literature
review of the topic to be
researched
Week 5 to week 8 26th June to 24th July 2018 Deciding on the best
sampling technique, sample
size, and collecting the
required data
Week 9 and week 10 11th July to 25th July 2018 Doing a detailed analysis of
the collected data and