Governance of cybersecurity communities

Understanding threat intelligence sharing as a collective action problem through incentivization of the National Detection Network

Master thesis (2018)

Authors

X.B. Bouwman Technology, Policy and Management

Contributors

M.J.G. van Eeten (supervisor 1)
Martijn Warnier (supervisor 2)
Faculty
Technology, Policy and Management
Copyright: © 2018 Xander Bouwman
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Published Date

25-09-2018

Language

English

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Faculty

Technology, Policy and Management

Abstract

Organizations benefit from improved cybersecurity threat detection capabilities if they share information in a community of their peers. However, organizations are unlikely to share the sensitive information that is most valuable as this poses individual risks. Information sharing in cybersecurity communities therefore forms a collective action problem. Currently, cybersecurity information sharing is being studied primarily as a technological challenge. Drawing on theory from economics and the social sciences, this study proposes governance requirements to overcome individual interests and improve information sharing. These are used to design a governance structure for the case of the National Detection Network, a cybersecurity community initiated by the government of the Netherlands. The proposed governance meets interests of parties through a process of interactive decision-making in four phases, while incentivizing sharing of cybersecurity information. Lessons are drawn from the case for cybersecurity communities in general.