Abstract

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)’ business continuity, hence the need to redefine Information Security Management (ISM) practices. This research aimed to analyse the impact of the post-COVID-19 digital shift on ISM practices in SMEs in Abu Dhabi through identifying risks and countermeasures to cyber threats. SMEs are significant for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) economy since 94% of the total number of businesses in the country and 86% of the private sector employee’s work in SMEs (Singh, 2020). However, due to enhanced digitalisation of their operations, they are at high risk of cyber incidents including hacking and ransomware.

The present research contributes to the existing literature by conducting qualitative interviews with SME executives and cybersecurity professionals to understand the difficulties that SMEs experience and the steps required to improve ISM practices. Based on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the study investigates the SMEs’ cyber threat perception and response strategy in resource-scarce contexts, which enhances the theoretical contribution by integrating ISM with the digital resilience theory.

Practical contributions are the creation of an SME-specific best-fit ISM model, guidelines for the government-supported cybersecurity programmes, and the ways to adopt cost-effective and sustainable technologies. The study focuses on policymakers, IT solution providers and SMEs in the enhancement of digital preparedness for sustainable economic development of Abu Dhabi. With reference to cybersecurity readiness in SMEs during crisis-induced digital change, this research fills essential gaps in the literature while providing practical recommendations to enhance SMEs’ readiness and contribute to Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification.