Genre-Based Assessment of Information and Knowledge Security Risks

Abstract

Contemporary methods for assessing information security risks have adopted mainly technical views on the information and technology assets. Organizational dynamics of information management and knowledge sharing have gained less attention. This article outlines how an information security risk assessment method can be elaborated using knowledge-centric analysis of information assets. For this purpose, we suggest the use of a genre-based analysis method for identifying organizational communication patterns, through which organizational knowledge is shared. Initial experiences of the method try-outs by three experienced information security professionals are discussed. The article concludes with a look at the implications of a genre-based analysis of knowledge assets for future research and practice.