Perceived Security Threats of Computerized Accounting Information Systems in the Egyptian Banking Industry

Ahmad A. Abu-Musa
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

ABSTRACT:

This paper investigates the perceived security threats of computerized accounting information systems (CAIS) in the Egyptian banking industry (EBI) by surveying the entire population of the EBI. Differences between the respondents’ opinions regarding the perceived security threats have been identified and investigated in the context of the EBI. The results of the study reveal that accidental entry of bad data by employees, accidental destruction of data by employees, introduction of computer viruses to the system, natural and human-made disasters, employees’ sharing of passwords, and misdirecting prints and distributing information to unauthorized people are the most significant perceived security threats to CAIS in the EBI. In all cases, the heads of internal audit departments reported higher occurrence frequencies of CAIS security threats compared to the heads of computer departments.

Key Words: Computer Security Threats; Accounting Information Systems; Egyptian Banking Industry