Architecture for Managing Knowledge on Cybersecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

In this paper, we present architecture for managing knowledge on cybersecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa. This architecture captures the critical contextual factors in the Sub-Saharan African region. The architecture enables the creation, storage/retrieval, transfer and application of knowledge on cybersecurity especially for home users while providing awareness and enforcement mechanisms to help home users protect themselves against cyber threats. The architecture can facilitate the building of expertise on cybersecurity among the stakeholders. The implications of the proposed architecture are presented.

Keywords:

• cybercrime
• cybersecurity
• cyber threats
• knowledge management
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• awareness
• enforcement

Notes on contributors

Francis Kofi Andoh-Baidoo is Assistant Professor, Department of Information Systems & Quantitative Methods, College of Business Administration, University of Texas Pan American, USA. He obtained his PhD in Information Systems from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. He has an MBA and a MS in Information Technology Management from University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and Bachelor of Science in Materials Engineering (Honors) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. His research areas include: Data Mining, Knowledge Management, IS Security, e-Commerce, IT for Development, Database Management, Decision Support Systems and ICT use in developing nations. He has published in journals such as Expert Systems with Applications, Information Systems Frontiers, IEEE Security & Privacy, Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application, Information Resources Management, International Journal of Services and Standards, and International Journal of Electronic Finance. He serves on the editorial board of several journals including: the Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application, International Journal of Electronic Finance and Journal of Information Technology Education.

Babajide Osatuyi is an Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems & Quantitative Methods at the University of Texas-Pan American. His research interests include decision support systems for emergency management, knowledge management, social network analysis, and information and communication technologies for development. He serves as reviewer for Information Systems Journals and Conferences. His research has appeared in journals such as Information Processing and Management, International Journal of Innovation and Learning, International Journal of Data Engineering, International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change in Organizations, Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application, and Electronic Journal of Information Systems for Developing Countries.

K. Niki Kunene is an assistant professor of Computer Information Systems at the University of Louisville. She received her PhD from the Virginia Commonwealth University (2006). Her research interests are interdisciplinary and include information, communications technologies for development (ICT4D) health informatics, data mining, decision support systems, and design science research. Her work has appeared in the European journal of operational research, and several medical journals including the European Journal of Neurosurgery.