Special Issue on Cybersecurity Investments

The Internet, as well as other computer networks, has changed, and in many ways improved, the lives of people around the world. Indeed, we now live in an interconnected digital world that has changed the way firms do business, people interact with one another, and countries think about national security. One downside of this interconnected digital world is protecting the information that travels through cyberspace, or what most refer to as cybersecurity. Indeed, cybersecurity breaches are ubiquitous. As a result, businesses, individuals, and countries are now investing large sums of money to improve the cybersecurity of their computer networks.  Unfortunately, the issues surrounding cybersecurity investments are complicated and, to a large extent, not well understood. 

In an effort to encourage further research and discussion related to the key issues surrounding cybersecurity investments, the Journal of Information Security (JIS) has decided to publish a theme issue devoted to this topic. The theme issue will have as its Guest Co-Editors, Dr. Lawrence A. Gordon, EY Alumni Professor of Managerial Accounting and Information Assurance, at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business (see: http://scholar.rhsmith.umd.edu/lgordon) and Dr. Martin P. Loeb, Deloitte & Touche Faculty Fellow, Professor and Chair, Department of Accounting and Information Assurance, at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Potential topics for this theme issue include, but are not limited to, answering the following questions:

• How much should be invested in cybersecurity?
• How should cybersecurity investments be allocated?
• What incentives, if any, are needed to get firms in the private sector to increase investments in cybersecurity?
• How do government regulations and legal issues affect the level of cybersecurity investments?
• How does the concern over privacy impact cybersecurity investments?
• What impact, if any, does information sharing have on cybersecurity investments?
• What is the relationship between cybersecurity investments and cybersecurity breaches?
• How does cybersecurity insurance affect cybersecurity investments?
• What is the relationship between cybersecurity risk management and cybersecurity investments?

Authors should read over the journal’s For Authors carefully before submission. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal’s Paper Submission System.

Please kindly specify the “Special Issue” under your manuscript title. The research field “Special Issue - Cybersecurity Investments” should be selected during your submission.

Special Issue Timetable:

Guest Co-Editors:

Prof. Lawrence A. Gordon (lgordon@rhsmith.umd.edu)

Prof. Martin P. Loeb (mloeb@rhsmith.umd.edu)

For further questions or inquiries, please contact Editorial Assistant at

jis@scirp.org.