topic: Cyber security: Data integrity threats to organizatins make a presentation on the given topic.you can use the information provided in the attached documents I am attaching all the work done so

Running head: RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES 1

Research Methodologies

Name : Danish Arshad Mohammed

Id : 42169

Cyber Security: Data Integrity Threats to Organizations

Methodological Approach

In researching the threats to data integrity in organizations, both the quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Surveys were conducted and the data was categorized, patterns were identified and generalizations were made (Walsham, 2018). Interviews and questionnaires were also used since they are the best when it comes to describing, contextualizing, interpreting and gaining useful insights about specific concepts of cyber security.

Methods of Data Collection

Surveys were conducted on organizations that dealt with huge volumes of customer data. These organizations included banks, e-commerce businesses, hospitals and other businesses that made use of credit cards. The participants of the survey were randomly sampled to provide an uncontrolled and diversified opinions on what they considered to be the threats of data integrity in organizations. The participants of the survey included both the technical and non-technical staff of various organizations, their customers and other concerned stakeholders. The survey was conducted through the internet using smartphones, PCs and even tablets. The rate of response from the sample size was huge and a reasonable amount of data was collected.

Literature reviews were also conducted on existing data to see what other researchers and authors presented to be the main threats to data integrity in organizations. The materials were sourced from libraries, latest magazines and newspapers and archival data. The data range was used to select the materials in terms of relevance. This is because the field of information technology is evolving rapidly and as new technologies emerge, they bring threats to data integrity with it.

Interviews were also conducted on both technical and non-technical staff of different organizations and on customers. The participants were mainly found within the named organizations either working or shopping, the participants were also selected at random regardless of their social status, age or gender. The interviews were semi structured. The interviews were recorded under 2 minutes for every individual.

Methods of Analysis

The qualitative method was used in data analysis. This is because the data collected was mainly in form of images, languages and observations. Content analysis was used to analyze literatures that discussed the threats to data integrity in organizations. Thematic analysis was also used to examine data and to find patterns that would indicate which among the named threats was considered to cause more damage as compared to the others. Discourse analysis was also used to analyze interviews and to relate their meaning in the context of cyber security and the threats to data integrity.

Methodological Justification

Semi structured interviews were ideal because it allowed interviewers to appear competent, therefore boosting the interviewees’ confidence in them and their willingness to provide information. Semi structured interviews also provide comparable and reliable qualitative data. Surveys were also used because it provides information on what people think, feel or have opinion of about a particular topic. Survey provided useful information on what customers, employees and criminal organizations thought to be the biggest threats to data integrity. Questionnaires were also used to provide large amounts of information which could then be analyzed later to provide more insights on people’s opinions and thoughts (McBride et al., 2018). Questionnaires were also used to provide information quickly. Literature review was used to collect relevant information about new technologies and their threats and the threats to data integrity over the past decade until now.

Challenges

While conducting the research, various limitations came to light. First, organizations that worked in fighting cyber-crimes were not willing to divulge information. However, this was not their fault since the privacy and confidentiality of the cases they handled had to be maintained. It was also difficult to obtain permissions to conduct surveys and interviews in most of the organizations. It was also evident that some of the participants did not know of any threats to data integrity and this led to difficulty and time being consumed while gathering information.

References

Gunasekera, D., Manton, M., Zillman, J. (2018). Threat to Data Integrity and Inerational Exchange. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 99(11), 2206-2207

Kshetri, N. (2017). Blockchain’s roles in strengthening cybersecurity and protecting privacy. Telecommunications policy, 41(10) 1027-1038.

McBride, T., Ekstrom, M., Lusty, L., Sexton, J., & Townsend, A. (2018). [Project Description] Data Integrity: Identifying and Protecting Assets Against Ransomware and Other Destructive Events (pp. 27-27). National Institute of Standards and Technology

Mendel, J. (2017). Smart grid cyber security challenges: Overview and classification. E-mentor, 68(1), 55-66.

Walsham, G. (2018). Research methodologies for information systems in the development context: a tutorial. The Digital Challenge: Information Technology In the Development context.