Emerald Management Review:
An economic mechanism for better Internet security

Abstract:

Purpose - To examine the Internet architecture and address Internet security issues from an economic perspective.

Design/methodology/approach - A review of the literature of information security is presented. Argues that Internet service providers (ISPs) should be the entities to assume liability for the actions of their customers and proposes a certification mechanism to induce ISPs to exert collective efforts to improve Internet security. Applies a game-theoretic model to examine the efficiency of this mechanism, which could be applied by a suitable agency, such the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which is a central authority with limited power in the essentially decentralized and neutral global network. Sets out the mechanism in the form of a detailed mathematical model.

Findings - The results indicated that the proposed mechanism can increase the efficiency for all the ISPs and, by providing ISPs with appropriate incentives, the mechanism can create a better communication environment over the Internet. Concludes that, by providing certification services, organizations such as ICANN could introduce a soft regulation to the Internet, characterized by the fact that participation is voluntary, and participants choose their actions based on self-interest.

Originality/value - Takes a refreshingly new and exciting view of Internet security by turning the conventional approaches, based individual Internet users taking responsibility for their own safe and secure Internet working, on their heads to draw attention to the duties and responsibilities of the ISPs concerning the security of the traffic they handle.

Keywords:

Article Type:

Research paper

Reference:

Top