INFORMATION SECURITY INCIDENT MANAGEMENT AND CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN POLAND

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this article was to examine and diagnose the existing situation in the field of information security management in local government offices in Poland. The focus was on the following issues: information security incident management, training, security level assessment, and financial aspects. Design/methodology/approach: The survey has exploratory character. It was conducted using the CAWI technique based on the online questionnaire which was sent to all offices of local government units: marshal offices, district offices and municipality offices. Findings: The text presents some of the survey results on information security awareness and information security incidents conducted in 2023 in local administration offices in Poland, especially about the numbers of information security incidents, training, budgets allocated on information security management, and assessment of security levels. The research results provide knowledge about the existing situation in the field of information security management in local government administration in Poland. Research limitations/implications: There are certain limitations to the use of survey research. The low level of participation means that the results may not be representative of the population. Additionally, respondents may intentionally provide false information or hide certain facts, which affects the reliability of the results. Practical implications: The presented results provide a valuable knowledge base on cybersecurity management in local government offices and can be the basis for further research and analysis. Originality/value: To the authors’ knowledge, this type of research has not been conducted. The research results provide knowledge about the existing situation in the field of information security management in local government administration in Poland. Information security incident management is one of the elements necessary for the proper operation of Information Security Management Systems.