The business value of engaging in counter-breach initiatives

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Facing an increasing information security threat, companies react by engaging in various counter-breach initiatives. The business value of such initiatives is under-studied. This paper utilizes an organizational legitimacy view, overlaid by behavioral theory of the firm (BTOF), to examine whether counter-breach initiatives are rewarded by the market, and whether the magnitude of such rewards depends on the institutional environment. Based on a dataset of 3, 212 observations from 2005 to 2015, and focusing on counter-breach initiatives that are revealed in public announcements and/or emphasized in annual reports, the results unfold an overall significant positive effect of counter-breach initiatives on Tobin's q and future return on assets. The findings reveal that this effect is more pronounced for breached firms in low-risk industries and un-breached firms in high-risk industries. This paper contributes to the information security literature by showing the positivity, as well as institutional heterogeneity, of the business value of counter-breach initiatives.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAmericas Conference on Information Systems 2018
Subtitle of host publicationDigital Disruption, AMCIS 2018
PublisherAssociation for Information Systems
ISBN (Print)9780996683166
StatePublished - 2018
Event24th Americas Conference on Information Systems 2018: Digital Disruption, AMCIS 2018 - New Orleans, United States
Duration: Aug 16 2018Aug 18 2018

Publication series

NameAmericas Conference on Information Systems 2018: Digital Disruption, AMCIS 2018

Conference

Conference24th Americas Conference on Information Systems 2018: Digital Disruption, AMCIS 2018
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityNew Orleans
Period08/16/1808/18/18

Keywords

  • Annual report
  • Counter-breach initiative
  • Information security
  • Public announcement
  • Tobin's q

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