Periodo: 2015
URL: What’s New in the Economics of Cybersecurity?: Observational and Empirical Studies
Descrizione:
The articles in this special issue, together with those in the companion issue, highlight the need for large, complex observational and empirical studies and represent the kind of studies that will advance our understanding of cybersecurity economics.
New developments are substantially increasing our dependence on technologies and ser- vices and giving rise to new risks and security challenges that require further investiga- tion of the social, technical, and economic aspects of the cyberworld. On the one hand, efficient and effective technology benefits both consumers and providers. On the other hand, new and severe security threats and vulnerabilities might expose consumers and providers to losses and unwanted consequences. In response to the changing cybersecurity challenges, spending on information security has grown steadily and might eventually reach a point that’s ifficient and unffordable. Further- more, both governments and market-oriented organizations must carefully balance tradeffs between security and privacy. A better understanding of these new socio-technical-economic complexities is urgently needed, requiring both reconsideration of traditional cybersecurity issues and investigation of new and unexplored research directions. This special issue on observational and empirical studies—together with the forthcoming special issue on the roles of cyberactors and intermediaries—highlights research insights that guide the exploration of the economics of cybersecurity.