Information security management practices in the digital economy: a descriptive analysis of current trends and future directions in Malaysia

The main objective of this research is to assess the level of InfoSec practices of Malaysia’s business organizations in the digital economy. The study seeks to provide insights into how businesses and individuals can better protect their data and systems from cyber threats, ultimately contributing to a safer and more secure digital future. A quantitative research method was employed in this research, and it was conducted throughout Malaysia. A total of 250 valid questionnaires were obtained from managers and executives of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status companies. A purposive sampling method was used to ensure the sample size was well-represented. The descriptive analysis suggests that most organizations have encouraged organizational awareness in InfoSec practices consistent with installing security controls at the first line of and indicating that InfoSec practices are somehow apparent in their organizational settings and the digital economy environment. This study was conducted descriptively to explore the trend and the current InfoSec practices of IT business in Malaysia. Although findings indicate that these companies are currently well-positioned to lead the digital economy, however, further exploration is needed to establish the correlations between InfoSec practices and secure digital business environment in the context of the digital economy. The ramifications of this study are beneficial for policymakers because they provide guidelines for how the pervasive use of computer systems can improve information security management.