Using the Latin Square Design Model in the Prioritzation of Network Security Threats: A Quantitative Study

Rodney Alexander

doi:10.4236/jis.2020.112006

Abstract

Society is becoming increasingly dependent on cyberspace for both business and pleasure. Cyber attackers continue to attack organizational computer networks, as those same computer networks become increasing critical to organizational business process. Strategic planning and managing IT security risks play an important role in the business and government planning process. Deploying defense in depth security measures can ensure that organizations continue to function in times of crisis. This quantitative study explores whether the Latin Square Design (LSD) model can be effectively applied to the prioritization of cybersecurity threats and to the linking of information assurance defense in-depth measures to those threats. The methods used in this study consisted of scanning 10 Cybersecurity Websites such as the Department of Homeland Security US CERT (United States-Computer Emergency Readiness Team [1]) and the SANS Institute (SysAdmin, Audit, Network and Security [2]) using the Likert Scale Model for the Website’s top ten list of cyber threats facing organizations and the network defense in depth measures to fight those threats. A comparison of each cybersecurity threats was then made using LSD to determine whether the Likert scale and the LSD model could be effectively applied to prioritize information assurance measures to protect organizational computing devices. The findings of the research reject the H0 null hypothesis that LSD does not affect the relationship between the ranking of 10 Cybersecurity websites top ten cybersecurity threats dependent variables and the independent variables of defense in depth measures used in protecting organizational devices against cyber-attacks.

Highlights

Organizational computing devices such as desktops, notebooks, and smart phones continue to become targets of cyber-attacks
This quantitative study explores whether the Latin Square Design (LSD) model can be effectively applied to the prioritization of cybersecurity threats and to the linking of information assurance defense in-depth measures to those threats
The findings of the research reject the H0 null hypothesis that LSD does not affect the relationship between the ranking of 10 Cybersecurity websites top ten cybersecurity threats dependent variables and the independent variables of defense in depth measures used in protecting organizational devices against cyber-attacks

Summary

Introduction

Organizational computing devices such as desktops, notebooks, and smart phones continue to become targets of cyber-attacks. The threat of attack by computer viruses is in reality a very small part of a much more general threat, threats aimed at subverting computer security [3]. The computer networks security can be undermined by malicious threats if they can enter the network. Defense in Depth is an information security practice adapted from a military defense strategy where an attacker is forced to overcome a great many obstacles that eventually expend the attacker’s resources [4]. A network attacker can be forced to exhaust his or her tools and energy on a labyrinth of threat mitigation measures. Developed countries have begun to accept cyber space as a fifth operational domain after land, sea, air and space [5].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion