As reliance on digital technologies increases across the globe, so do the quantity and severity of cybersecurity threats. This has quickly made cybersecurity a priority for USAID and international development practitioners. The USAID Digital Strategy identifies cybersecurity as a cross-cutting topic, noting that development programs must make every effort to understand the associated risks and programs to strengthen cybersecurity and resilience.
This DECA Cybersecurity Addendum provides DECA research teams with supplemental guidance and resources to assess cybersecurity and explore specific cybersecurity issues in greater depth, as well as to develop actionable recommendations. The addendum aims to increase researchers’ familiarity with a range of cybersecurity topics and promote learning and information exchange. The addendum builds on other key documents across USAID’s Digital Strategy including the Cybersecurity Primer, Cybersecurity Briefers, the DECA Toolkit, and DECA Research Checklist.
The addendum offers the following:
- Provides context for why cybersecurity must be a digital development priority;
- Breaks down the complexities of cybersecurity as a research topic by providing clear definitions of technical topics;
- Advises DECA research teams on how to conduct nuanced cybersecurity research in each phase of the DECA;
- Outlines practical tips for how to conduct qualitative interviews; and
- Lists questions that DECA research teams can integrate into cybersecurity data collection.
