The Hospitality Curriculum Cybersecurity Education Shortfall: An Exploratory Study

Cyberattacks in the United States have consistently increased over recent years, and there is no apparent end to this upward trend. The increase in these attacks has resulted in successful cyber incidents and breaches of large, small, and medium-sized organizations across varied locales and industries. The hospitality industry has not been immune to these cyberattacks. Hospitality organizations have a vast attack surface, access to a wealth of sensitive information, and cyberattacks against them are becoming increasingly sophisticated, pervasive, and persistent. Some hospitality organizations have limited resources and budgets and do not hire dedicated Information Technology decision-makers and Cybersecurity professionals. The task of cybersecurity decision-making often rests on the general manager. Most are not educated on cybersecurity to help them make the most informed decisions regarding securing and protecting their digital assets, business partners, customers, and sensitive information. As hospitality higher education institutions are tasked with preparing students and graduates for the industry, they need to educate their students and the future workforce about cybersecurity best practices that could assist them in protecting and defending against cyber threats and breaches. This exploratory qualitative content analysis study sought to determine the cybersecurity education offering to determine if there is a shortfall in the hospitality curriculum. It analyzed hospitality cybersecurity education program requirements for the associate and baccalaureate degrees by examining the relevant courses provided by institutions and programs accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA). The study's findings suggest a shortfall in hospitality cybersecurity education offerings and program requirements. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]