Cyber-Security Vulnerability Assessment Model for County Governments in Kenya

Computerization of county government daily activities enables faster and better services to their clients. The integration of Information and Communications Technology by the CG into their systems has led to new advancements in technology. The adoption of ICT into the Kenya?s County Governments has contributed to faster growth and output in better client service delivery. The benefits has also encouraged serious attacks to such systems causing risks due to easier penetration in the systems because of vulnerabilities. The attacks have costed county governments more resources and time in case of managing such risks. As a country, we need to ensure that all our systems are well safeguarded from attacks. This paper sought to address the above issue bydeveloping a cyber-security vulnerability assessment model for County Governments in Kenya, The model can be applied as a better approach that will manage and reduce the attacks and risks. The Model was developed from a study that targeted a total population of 170 staff grouped as end users and ICT Experts working in county governments of Kakamega and Bungoma. The study adopted an exploratory research design. Stratified random sampling technique was used to group the counties while purposive sampling was used to identify the correspondence with the required information. A sample size of 98 end users and 37 ICT experts was obtained using Yamane?s formula. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used in data collection. The data was analyzed using SPSS where descriptive statistics of frequencies, charts, percentages and mean regression analysis were used and a null hypothesis was tested at 5% level of significance. Study results showed that there is a positive association between preparedness and awareness, support and funding, policies and regulations, and technology; hence influencing cyber-security. The developed model will be used as a guide to manage cyber security matters in Kenya?s County governments.