The effects of national culture on the assessment of information security threats and controls in financial services industry

This study enriches the information provided in the 2012 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL) survey that dealt with information security threats and controls in the global financial services institutions (GFSI). It seeks to provide information on the effects of national cultural dimensions on information security threats and controls in GFSI. The study’s analysis used secondary data, which was acquired from relevant, reputable sources. The study’s findings offer partial support for the significance of national culture in the discourse. Namely, cultural dimensions of uncertainty avoidance (UAI), individualism versus collectivism (IDV), and masculinity versus femininity (MAS) have effects on the assessment of information threats and controls related to the acquisition and implementation of security tools such as identity access management and cloud computing services. In addition, national cultural norms had effects on respondents’ experiences with privacy-related breaches and assessment of information security budget. The implications of the study’s preliminary findings for research and practice are discussed.