Evaluation of Information Security Approaches: A Defense Industry Organization Case - Challenges of Information Management Beyond the Cloud - page 112

Evaluation of Information Security Approaches:
A Defense Industry Organization Case

Tolga Çakmak and Şahika Eroğlu

Hacettepe University, Department of Information Management, Ankara, Turkey
{tcakmak,sahikaeroglu}@hacettepe.edu.tr

Abstract. Information security systems are important to ensure business
continuity and protect organizations against potential risks. In this context
organizations have to analyze their information system processes and they
should develop their information systems according to results of the analysis.
This paper aims to evaluate the current information security approaches in a
defense industry organization in Turkey. The case of the assessment
demonstrates information security standards and approaches and reflects the
importance of information security implementation within the organizations. In
order to achieve research objectives and aims, Information Security Assessment
Tool for State Agencies (an information security assessment tool) was chosen
as the research instrument for this study. The results obtained from the
assessment tool revealed that major applications were implemented by the
defense industry organization. According to the assessments, the study
recommends that education and training programs and policies should be
developed, and that interoperability of information security functions should be
provided in the defense industry.

Keywords: Information security, knowledge management, information security
assessment.

1 Introduction

Organizations are one of the most efficient factors for the development of communities.
They generally interact with their internal and external environments. As a result of this
interaction, they can create not only services or a particular product required by a target
group, but also create continual information and information resources, especially in
electronic environments. In this respect, it would not be wrong to say that knowledge
management is a key point for organizational development with the convergence of new
technologies. Besides, knowledge management provides management with information
created for organizational goals, promotes organizational effectiveness and productivity,
and competitive advantage.
Advancements in Internet and web technologies, new perspectives for competitive
advantage and changes in administrative approaches increase the importance of
knowledge management for organizations. Especially since the 1990's with the use of
information systems in the modern sense, knowledge management and security issues