Cybersecurity Capacity Building and Institutional Resilience in Developing Country Agencies: A Field Study
Keywords:
Capacity Building, Institutional Resilience, Developing Countries, Public Sector Cybersecurity, Developing Country AgenciesAbstract
This paper examines the critical dynamics of cybersecurity capacity building and its direct impact on institutional resilience within public sector agencies of developing countries. Utilizing a multiple-case study methodology across five core government ministries and agencies over an eighteen-month field research period, the study investigates how socio-technical interventions, resource allocations, and administrative structures interact to shape an organization's defense and recovery posture. The empirical findings reveal that while technical infrastructure investments are necessary, they are insufficient for cultivating true institutional resilience without parallel investments in administrative adaptation, localized human capital preservation, and flexible policy frameworks. Bureaucratic inertia, high technical staff turnover driven by private sector wage disparities, and a reliance on rigid, donor-driven capacity models often undermine long-term sustainability. Based on these insights, this research proposes a tailored, three-tiered strategic framework that emphasizes modular socio-technical designs, localized knowledge transfer systems, and continuous, threat-informed administrative feedback loops. This framework offers actionable pathways for international development partners and national policymakers seeking to secure critical public infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated global cyber threats.References
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