Knowledge Management, Digital Transformation and the Resilience of the Firm

The drive for digitalization of the global economy has increased the scope of threats faced by businesses and societies. The growing footprint of information and communication technology infrastructures supporting modern societies opens a range of unpredictable challenges for organizations. In this context, the dynamic nature of cybersecurity has redefined the organizational risk climate. In order to address these challenges, organizations are continuously assessing their cybersecurity performance and often reconsider their cybersecurity investments. There is substantial interest and efforts in the research and practice communities in understanding and building organizational cybersecurity. However, there is a particular focus on the technological dimension of cybersecurity, which often has a negative effect on the actions of the organizational decision-makers. With an aim to address this gap, this chapter puts knowledge at the centre of the cybersecurity narrative. We argue that knowledge influences and is influenced by the cybersecurity of organizations, both as a driver of cybersecurity and as a consequence of the impact of cyber incidents. Building upon this premise, this chapter provides a perspective of cybersecurity as a knowledge problem. We argue that an organization’s ability to effectively manage risk is rooted in its ability to manage relevant knowledge.