INFORMATION SECURITY, INNOVATION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has brought to place the field of Information Security (IS) that is concerned with analyzing and tackling security concerns and threats in the cyberspace. This study explores the place of IS in innovation and national development. It argues that the critical and strategic security role played by IS stretches beyond the cyberspace to other spheres of society, consequent upon which it serves as a catalyst for innovation and national development. Drawing evidence from extant literatures, the study shows in its analytic description that as IS provides security and innovations in various endeavors, it contributes significantly to national development and the strategic interests of nations like the USA that is deeply concerned with and involved in IS. It concludes that given the crucial functions in safeguarding cyberspace and other critical sectors, IS indeed serves as a catalyst of innovation and national development. The study calls on stakeholders to make concerted efforts to create awareness about IS and increase the deployment of IS for the mitigation of cyber threats and attacks.