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An Investigation Into the Cybersecurity Readiness of the Hospitals in Tonga

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Thesis(1.45 MB)

Date

2024

Authors

Supervisor

Litchfield, Alan T.

Item type

Thesis

Degree name

Master of Information Security and Digital Forensics

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Publisher

Auckland University of Technology

Abstract

This research addressed the risks and threats to cybersecurity (CS) faced in the health industry by identifying the cultural and socio-political risk factors. The focus was based in the hospitals in Tonga, an island nation in the South Pacific. Its unique culture and socio-political norms were examined to identify the risk factors and vulnerabilities that would stand as a challenge or become a threat towards the new digital Health Information System (HIS) that has just recently rolled out in their main hospital. The process of establishing a link between systems in the main hospital on the main island and the rest of the hospitals in the outer islands is currently underway. The research method used is based on information gathered from literature reviews, reports, governmental documents, surveys, current affairs in Tonga and personal knowledge. The findings did identify multiple risk factors created by the social class and the hierarchical system in Tonga. It gave birth to privilege, factions, favouritism, and nepotism, which have been problems in Tonga for a long time. On the other hand, the culture of gender appropriation, the traditional division of labour among men and women, has been a challenge to women moving forward in many areas traditionally dominated by men, for example, in computer technology and CS. There is a strong link between this culture and the lack of Tongan women in the tech industry and women who chose to study in the area. Most employees who are users of the new systems in Tongan hospitals are women identified as potential risks and senior employees who refused to accept new technology or bother with the required training. Other risks identified were Tonga’s socio-political norm and taste for control, which was reflected in the new eGovernment plans to centralise government structure, management, and digital information under one watchful eye of the Tongan Govt. There are benefits to gain from centralised systems as well as risks in the case of cyberattacks on the one hand and accumulating too much power on the other hand that would lead to tyrannical power abuse. Tonga’s diplomatic relations also reflect their cultural norm on interdependence and reliance on foreign aid, bank loans, and remittance, which has pressured Govt policies to be more in line with aid donors’ objectives. It shifts our attention to China and its influence in Tonga, where China has a reputation for CS breaches and cybercrime. Tonga is currently going through a digital revolution since fast broadband was brought in, mass access to smart devices and social media, the digitisation of both private and public sectors and the rollout of the eGovernment with the aim to unify all of Tonga’s Govt ministries and agencies digital information under one portal. Technology has developed much faster, while the culture and tradition remain, which are incompatible and have become a challenge, creating risks compromising CS. This research has not only exposed those risks but also stressed the importance of securing data and information held in hospitals’ HIS because of their sensitivity and significance. The HIS and Information Computer Technology (ICT) systems that run hospitals must be secured to guarantee the continuation of services and caring for the vulnerable who need those services the most.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10292/18084

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