Understanding the Role of Leadership Competencies in Cyber Crisis Management: A Case Study

Abstract

The amount and severity of cyber-attacks has been constantly increasing in recent years, and the number of cyber-related organizational crises grew accordingly. Despite the relevance of the topic, the literature on the subject is still limited, especially from a non-technical point of view. In the context of leadership, traditional crisis management literature identified specific competencies that organizations can leverage to mitigate the effects of a crisis, but there is a research gap as to whether or not these capabilities make sense in a cyber crisis context. This study aims to bridge this gap by analyzing the case of Norsk Hydro – a Norwegian company that in 2019 fell victim of a disruptive ransomware attack – through the lenses of a traditional crisis leadership model.