Information Technology Governance (ITG) is among the most important challenges for the managers today. IT is not anymore just a supportive tool but also a strategic driver for the businesses. In the dynamic and competitive world of today, it is crucial for organizations to know how to govern IT rather than just to use it. IT governance deals with specifying responsibilities and decision rights to encourage the desirable behaviour from IT and generate value from IT investments. IT governance can impact the overall performance of organizations, however there are still difficulties in understanding IT governance and the factors that may influence it.

Organizational culture and structure are among the factors that have significant influence on many issues in an organization. According to previous research, organizational culture and structure need to be considered when implementing IT governance. However, there is a lack of research focusing on how organizational culture and structure can influence IT governance performance and implementation. Thus, the main research question addressed in this thesis is: How are organizational culture and structure related to IT governance? To address this question, this research has performed literature reviews and conducted case studies to investigate the role of organizational culture and structure on IT governance. As the first step, the previous literature was reviewed to find the gaps in the research on culture and IT governance. As the next step, four case studies were conducted to explore the influence of organizational culture and structure on IT governance. Two case studies have investigated the relation between organizational structure and IT governance implementation and performance in large organizations; and two other case studies investigated on how different types of organizational culture influence IT governance performance outcomes.

The results of this research respond to the research question by specifying the role of culture in IT governance through a categorization of prior research both from research and practice perspectives; specifying the influence of different organizational culture types on IT governance performance outcomes in different organizations; and by specifying IT organizational structure relationship with IT governance performance outcomes and IT governance implementation.

The research presented in this thesis provides both theoretical and empirical contributions to the IT governance research and practice.

Cloud computing is used to a greater extent in today’s organizations and enables organizations to obtain on-demand network access to IT services. When cloud computing is adopted in an organization, the IT governance becomes more challenging, because organizations need to address business and IT-related processes as well as managing risks and maintaining the relationship with cloud computing vendors. This research aims at finding how cloud computing service model specifically Software as a Service (SaaS) influence IT governance structures, processes and relational mechanisms in a public organization. For this purpose a case study was conducted in a Swedish municipality and the data was collected through interviews with IT managers and from internal documents of municipality and was analyzed using thematic analysis. The results of this study shows that SaaS influences the IT governance structure by improving roles and responsibilities definition and speeds up the decision-making processes. Moreover, the communication with the vendors is more efficient due to the use of SaaS.

Globalization has affected the organizations in many aspects such as structure, architecture, internal/external strategies and sourcing management. Outsourcing is one of the recent business strategies used to provide IT needs via external agents. The relationship between the service buyer and provider companies is a constituent playing a significant role in IT outsourcing success or failure. This research has a focus on the influence of organizational culture of buyer companies on the specific factors of trust, cooperation, communication and commitment in their relationship with the IT service provider. Two explorative case studies are done in global companies using ITO which revealed the presence of organizational culture effect. Particularly, being innovative, having open discussion as an organizational culture and looking for extending contracts with providers as a strategy, appeared as the major difference between the two cases organizational culture; which influences the studied factors of ITO relationship in this research.

Today it is not possible for the companies to compete without having IT as a strategic driver. That is why IT governance becomes crucial for managers to bring the most value from IT to the business. Additionally organizational culture is an important factor and often blamed when IT governance projects fail. However little in-depth research investigated how the organizational culture changes can improve the IT governance performance. This research is a case study of the IT department of a large company attempting to improve the IT governance while facing the digitalization challenge. In this case the IT department has an organizational culture change journey seeking to improve the IT governance performance. The results indicate that the initial clan culture orientation of the IT department has led to a successful IT governance performance in cost-effective use of IT. Furthermore, adhocracy is identified as preferred culture for improving IT governance for growth.

Managers face enormous challenges today to plan the decision rights and responsibilities in order to reach desired IT behaviors which are aligned with business objectives of organizations. This is known as IT governance and is ranked as one of the firms' top concerns. Not surprisingly, it is crucial for organizations to find the affecting factors on IT governance and solve the problems associated with it. Culture in national, organizational or group level is an affecting factor in organizations that can play a role in IT governance and this role is rarely explored in academic research. This paper provides a literature review investigating the influence of culture on IT governance. The research purpose is to identify how culture and IT governance in the companies can be linked together and promote this area for future research. The literature review is done systematically and the findings are classified by using an IT governance framework with three main components of structures, processes and relational mechanisms. The results indicate there is an influence from national and organizational culture on IT governance. However, the number of studies is very few and there is still a lack of knowledge on how culture can influence IT governance. This research calls upon a further research on culture impact on achieving an effective IT governance implementation in organizations.

Managers face enormous challenges today to plan the decision rights and responsibilities in order to reach desired IT behaviors which are aligned with business objectives of organizations. This is known as IT governance and is ranked as one of the firms' top concerns. Not surprisingly, it is crucial for organizations to find the affecting factors on IT governance and solve the problems associated with it. Culture in national, organizational or group level is an affecting factor in organizations that can play a role in IT governance and this role is rarely explored in academic research. This paper provides a literature review investigating the influence of culture on IT governance. The research purpose is to identify how culture and IT governance in the companies can be linked together and promote this area for future research. The literature review is done systematically and the findings are classified by using an IT governance framework with three main components of structures, processes and relational mechanisms. The results indicate there is an influence from national and organizational culture on IT governance. However, the number of studies is very few and there is still a lack of knowledge on how culture can influence IT governance. This research calls upon a further research on culture impact on achieving an effective IT governance implementation in organizations.

Managers face enormous challenges today to plan the decision rights and responsibilities in order to reach desired IT behaviors which are aligned with business objectives of organizations. This is known as IT governance and is ranked as one of the firms' top concerns. Not surprisingly, it is crucial for organizations to find the affecting factors on IT governance and solve the problems associated with it. Culture in national, organizational or group level is an affecting factor in organizations that can play a role in IT governance and this role is rarely explored in academic research. This paper provides a literature review investigating the influence of culture on IT governance. The research purpose is to identify how culture and IT governance in the companies can be linked together and promote this area for future research. The literature review is done systematically and the findings are classified by using an IT governance framework with three main components of structures, processes and relational mechanisms. The results indicate there is an influence from national and organizational culture on IT governance. However, the number of studies is very few and there is still a lack of knowledge on how culture can influence IT governance. This research calls upon a further research on culture impact on achieving an effective IT governance implementation in organizations.

IT governance is crucial for managers to regulate the decision rights and responsibilities that the desired IT behaviors and business objectives are aligned with each other. Additionally, culture in national, organizational or group level can play a role in IT governance and this role is rarely explored in academic research. This paper provides a literature review investigating the impact of culture on IT governance. It is aimed to find the linkage between these two concepts and to promote this area for future research. The literature review was done systematically and the findings are categorized by using an IT governance framework which includes three main components: structures, processes and relational mechanisms. The results indicate there is an influence from national and organizational culture on IT governance, especially on relational mechanisms. However, the number of studies is very few and there is still a lack of knowledge on how culture can influence IT governance.

IT governance is one of the top concerns of organizations today seeking to gain value from their IT investments and create competitive advantage. Organizational culture on the other hand is one of the various factors influencing IT governance performance. However there is not much research conducted to understand this topic deeply. This research thus, is exploring the influence of organizational culture on four IT governance performance outcomes through a case study in IT department of a large Swedish company. The results provide evidence that organizational culture is influencing IT governance performance. Specifically the current clan culture orientation of the IT department has led to a successful IT governance performance in cost-effective use of IT. Furthermore adhocracy as the preferred culture is identified to influence IT governance in effective use of IT for growth which is not so successful with the current clan culture.

Information Technology (IT) is widely used in organizations and managers continue to struggle with how to govern IT. IT governance concerns the decision rights and division of responsibilities to achieve value from IT investments. Any IT governance approach is incorporated into a given organizational structure. However in the particular context of public organizations, there is little research on IT organizational structure relationship with IT governance performance. In this research, a case study is done in a public organization to find out how suitable is the organizational structure of the IT department is in relation with the IT governance performance. The results reveal that the IT department organizational structure needs to suit the IT governance performance desired outcomes. In this case, operating as a public organization has actuated the organization to focus on IT governance outcome of effective use of IT for growth. This together with the IT governance archetypes of this public organization for different IT decisions led the IT department leaders to adopt a matrix organizational structure.

In today's complex organizations, IT governance is an important managerial challenge. IT governance deals with decisions and responsibilities concerning IT. There are many factors influencing IT governance. One factor that has remained relatively unexplored by academic research is that of organizational culture. This research explores the influence of the organizational culture of collaborative networks on IT governance performance. A case study was conducted in a large complex company with several networks. The findings indicated that the networks desire different organizational culture types based on their priorities for IT governance outcomes. A clan organizational culture is desired when aiming for effective use of IT for asset utilization and cost effective use of IT. An adhocracy culture is desired when prioritizing the effective use of IT for business growth. Finally a combination of market and hierarchy organizational culture is desired when seeking effective use of IT for business flexibility and cost cutting.

In today's complex organizations, IT governance is an important managerial challenge. IT governance deals with decisions and responsibilities concerning IT. There are many factors influencing IT governance. One factor that has remained relatively unexplored by academic research is that of organizational culture. This research explores the influence of the organizational culture of collaborative networks on IT governance performance. A case study was conducted in a large complex company with several networks. The findings indicated that the networks fit better with different organizational culture types based on their priorities for IT governance outcomes to maximize performance. A clan organizational culture is desired when aiming for effective use of IT for asset utilization and cost-effective use of IT. An adhocracy culture fits better when prioritizing the effective use of IT for business growth. Finally, a combination of market and hierarchy organizational culture is desired and fits better when seeking effective use of IT for business flexibility and cost cutting.

Information technology governance (ITG) is one of the top challenges of managers today and culture in different level can have an important role while implementing IT governance. This is a new and significant issue, which has not been investigated deeply. This paper sets out to provide a systematic review of the literature, focusing on the role of culture in IT governance. The literature review findings are categorized through the lens of IT governance’s five focus areas which are IT strategic alignment, IT value delivery, Risk management, IT resource management and Performance measurement. This study contributes to the field of IT governance by reviewing and discussing the existing literature on the role of culture on IT governance. This literature review resulted that there are few research studies in this topic and many of the IT governance focus areas are not covered regarding the role of culture in these IT governance areas.

Information technology governance (ITG) is one of the top challenges of managers today and culture in different level can have an important role while implementing IT governance. This is a new and significant issue, which has not been investigated deeply. This paper sets out to provide a systematic review of the literature, focusing on the role of culture in IT governance. The literature review findings are categorized through the lens of IT governance's five focus areas which are IT strategic alignment, IT value delivery, Risk management, IT resource management and Performance measurement. This study contributes to the field of IT governance by reviewing and discussing the existing literature on the role of culture on IT governance. This literature review resulted that there are few research studies in this topic and many of the IT governance focus areas are not covered regarding the role of culture in these IT governance areas.

A Digital Transformation fundamentally involves the implementation of one or more digital tools, which is a process often burdened with challenges. It is estimated that approximately 66 to 84 percent of the taken Digital Transformation initiatives are unsuccessful, which can be attributed to organizational shortcomings, more specifically structural ones. While public organizations regularly do not achieve the same success as those in the private sector, it was of interest to investigate the Swedish ones. Where 86 percent of residents use the internet to interact with public authorities. Previous research has singled out the IT organization to be the appointed leader of Digital Transformations, further research on that relationship is limited. Therefore, this study examines how the IT organization, in an agile environment, can align its structure for a successful Digital Transformation. To answer the discovered research problem, the following research question has been formulated: “How should an IT organization’s structure be aligned in an agile environment in order to achieve a successful Digital Transformation?”. This is research in progress and will be continued by conducting case studies in four public organizations. Data will be collected through semi0structured interviews and analyzed thematically. Finally, a presentation of different aspect of organizational structure alignment through digital transformation based on these cases will be provided.

Digital transformation has been an interesting concept from the organizational perspective for a long time. The benefits of a successful digital transformation can take your organization into the next step by providing an increased organizational growth, aid market reachability by penetrating new and exciting markets, or enable your business operations to function to a greater extent than before with higher efficiency and lower lead times. Digital transformation is however a complex and diverse concept that means to integrate new innovations by using digital technology into the organization with the need of making greater organizational changes to succeed. This research, has explored how different organizational aspects like structural, technological and cultural ones can impact the success of a digital transformation during an ERP system change. A case study has been conducted in a company to identify how the current structural, technological, and cultural aspects influence the current digital transformation in that the company. The data was collected through interviews with employees having managerial roles and from internal documents of company and was analyzed using thematic analysis. The results show an agile approach, a more decentralized structure and high readiness for change, along with a transparent communication between management and co-workers to be beneficial for a successfully digital transformation.

Detection of epileptic seizures on the basis of Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings is a challenging task due to the complex, non-stationary and non-linear nature of these biomedical signals. In the existing literature, a number of automatic epileptic seizure detection methods have been proposed that extract useful features from EEG segments and classify them using machine learning algorithms. Some characterizing features of epileptic and non-epileptic EEG signals overlap; therefore, it requires that analysis of signals must be performed from diverse perspectives. Few studies analyzed these signals in diverse domains to identify distinguishing characteristics of epileptic EEG signals. To pose the challenge mentioned above, in this paper, a fuzzy-based epileptic seizure detection model is proposed that incorporates a novel feature extraction and selection method along with fuzzy classifiers. The proposed work extracts pattern features along with time-domain, frequency domain, and non-linear analysis of signals. It applies a feature selection strategy on extracted features to get more discriminating features that build fuzzy machine learning classifiers for the detection of epileptic seizures. The empirical evaluation of the proposed model was conducted on the benchmark Bonn EEG dataset. It shows significant accuracy of 98% to 100% for normal vs. ictal classification cases while for three class classification of normal vs. inter-ictal vs. ictal accuracy reaches to above 97.5%. The obtained results for ten classification cases (including normal, seizure or ictal, and seizure-free or inter-ictal classes) prove the superior performance of proposed work as compared to other state-of-the-art counterparts.

The detection of epileptic seizures by classifying electroencephalography (EEG) signals into ictal and interictal classes is a demanding challenge, because it identifies the seizure and seizure-free states of an epileptic patient. In previous works, several machine learning-based strategies were introduced to investigate and interpret EEG signals for the purpose of their accurate classification. However, non-linear and non-stationary characteristics of EEG signals make it complicated to get complete information about these dynamic biomedical signals. In order to address this issue, this paper focuses on extracting the most discriminating and distinguishing features of seizure EEG recordings to develop an approach that employs both fuzzy-based and traditional machine learning algorithms for epileptic seizure detection. The proposed framework classifies unknown EEG signal segments into ictal and interictal classes. The model is validated using empirical evaluation on two benchmark datasets, namely the Bonn and Children's Hospital of Boston-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (CHB-MIT) datasets. The obtained results show that in both cases, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Fuzzy Rough Nearest Neighbor (FRNN) give the highest classification accuracy scores, with improved sensitivity and specificity percentages.

Knowledge tracing—where a machine models the students’ knowledge as they interact with coursework—is a well-established area in the field of Artificial Intelligence in Education. In this paper, an ensemble approach is proposed that addresses existing limitations in question-centric knowledge tracing and achieves the goal of predicting future question correctness. The proposed approach consists of two models; one is Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) built by incorporating all relevant key features engineered from the data. The second model is a Multiheaded-Self-Attention Knowledge Tracing model (MSAKT) that extracts historical student knowledge of future question by calculating their contextual similarity with previously attempted questions. The proposed model’s effectiveness is evaluated by conducting experiments on a big Kaggle dataset achieving an Area Under ROC Curve (AUC) score of 0.84 with 84% accuracy using 10fold cross-validation.

Ett ramverk för behandling av osäkerhet inom ledningssystem för informationssäkerhet presenteras. Ramverket baseras på teorier från corporate finance. En fallstudie visar hur ramverket kan appliceras.

Information technology evolves at a faster pace giving organizations a limited scope to comprehend and effectively react to steady flux nature of its progress. Consequently the rapid technological progression raises various concerns for the IT system of an organization i.e. existing hardware/software obsoleteness, uncertain system behavior, interoperability of various components/method, sudden changes in IT security requirements and expiration of security evaluations. These issues are continuous and critical in their nature that create uncertainty in IT infrastructure and threaten the IT security measures of an organization. In this research, Options theory is devised to address uncertainty issues in IT security management and the concepts have been developed/validated through real cases on SHS (Spridnings-och-Hämtningssystem) and ESAM (E-society) systems. AUMSIS (Automated Uncertainty Management System in Information Security) is the ultimate objective of this research which provides an automated system for uncertainty management in information security. The paper presents the architectural description of AUMSIS, its various components, information flow, storage and information processing details using options valuation techniques. It also presents heterogeneous information retrieval problems and their solution. The architecture is validated with examples from SHS system

The continuously evolving nature of today's internet outdates the existing security and safety mechanisms and therefore there is an emerging need to propose robust, powerful and reliable solutions. These advancements have a great impact on the software and system architectures, resulting in a highly dynamic smart networked environment. The systems used within these complex environments have at least two things in common, namely, the need to restrict or grant access for the required resources based on security policy to face security threats, and the need to sustain resilience of the environment in face of safety hazards. Both aspects should consider trust.

In most of the current applications security is usually provided individually. This means that various applications use their own security mechanisms and services, applied only to their own resources and functions. Furthermore, procedures to configure security parameters are usually inconvenient and complicated for non-technical users. As an alternative to this approach, we have designed and implemented Secure Workstation, which represents an integrated security environment and protects local IT resources, messages and operations across multiple applications. It comprises five components, i.e. four most commonly used PC applications: Secure Station Manager (equivalent to Windows Explorer), Secure E-Mail Client, Secure Documents System, and Secure Browser. These four components for their security extensions use functions and credentials of the fifth component, Generic Security Provider [5]. With this approach, we provide standard security services (authentication, confidentiality, and integrity and access control) and also additional, extended security services, such as transparent handling of certificates, use of smart cards, strong authentication protocol, SAML based single-singe-on, secure sessions, and other security functions, to all PC applications with the same set of security modules and parameters.

There is an increasing trend of disastrous events during past decade with significant damage in terms of lives, infrastructure, economics and environment. Disastrous events are affecting communities worldwide and, apart for the actual and personal suffering involved, can fundamentally disrupt societal functions for many years. This is particularly the case in already vulnerable regions, which often require external assistance of various kinds. In order to reduce catastrophic effects of disasters, disaster mitigation measures and crisis reduction must be systematically planned and managed. This includes correct damage assessment, fast, efficient and prepared responses, adequate resource allocation and organisation of the relief processes. Obviously, the conditions and abilities to implement such measures are very different in various locations, where regions have particularly severe conditions. In this paper, we discuss crisis management in Sudan and highlight the need for national and regional disaster management processes and activities as well as general framework for the design of an efficient disaster management program in Sudan.

Surging glaciers are glaciers that experience rapidly accelerated glacier flow over a comparatively short period of time. Though relatively rare worldwide, Alaska is home to the largest number of surge-type glaciers globally. However, their impact on the broader socioecological system in the state is both poorly understood and under-researched, which poses a challenge in developing appropriate sustainability decisions in Alaska. We investigated how the surge patterns of the Bering Glacier in Alaska have potentially devastating effects on the local ecological biodiversity of its watershed via a structured decision-making analysis of the different possible consequences. Specifically, this analysis was conducted to explore the various outcomes of a Bering Glacier surge particularly if humans have an increased presence near the glacier due to the area potentially becoming a state park. This work explored the benefits of applying a risk and decision analytical framework in a cryosphere context, to better understand the socioeconomic impact of glacier surges. This is a novel approach in which a decision analysis tool was used to better understand an environmental sustainability challenge, offering an innovative method to support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals in Alaska. We therefore emphasise the need for integrated biophysical and socioeconomic analyses when it comes to understanding glacier hazards. Our research highlights the importance of understanding and researching biophysical changes as well as using a structured decision-making process for complicated hazard planning scenarios, exemplified via glaciated regions in Alaska, in order to create adaptation strategies that are sustainable and encompass the range of possible outcomes.

Background: The Public Health (PH) course at the medical college of Cairo University is based on traditional lectures. Large enrollment limits students' discussions and interactions with instructors. Aim: Evaluate students' learning outcomes as measured by improved knowledge acquisition and opinions of redesigning the Reproductive Health (RH) section of the PH course into e-learning and assessing e-course utilization. Methods: This prospective interventional study started with development of an e-learning course covering the RH section, with visual and interactive emphasis, to satisfy students' diverse learning styles. Two student groups participated in this study. The first group received traditional lecturing, while the second volunteered to enroll in the e-learning course, taking online course quizzes. Both groups answered knowledge and course evaluation questionnaires and were invited to group discussions. Additionally, the first group answered another questionnaire about reasons for non-participation. Results: Students participating in the e-learning course showed significantly better results, than those receiving traditional tutoring. Students who originally shunned the e-course expressed eagerness to access the course before the end of the academic year. Overall, students using the redesigned e-course reported better learning experiences. Conclusions: An online course with interactivities and interaction, can overcome many educational drawbacks of large enrolment classes, enhance student's learning and complement pit-falls of large enrollment traditional tutoring.

How do Swedish tweens (10–14 years old) understand and experience the writing of their online identities? How are such intertwined identity markers as gender and age expressed and negotiated? To find some answers to these questions, participants in this study were asked to write a story about the use of online web communities on pre-prepared paper roundels with buzzwords in the margins to inspire them. Content analysis of these texts using the constant comparative method showed that the main factors determining how online communities are understood and used are the cultural age and gender of the user. Both girls and boys chat online, but girls more often create blogs while boys more often play games. Gender was increasingly emphasised with age; but whereas boys aged 14 described themselves as sexually active and even users of pornography, girls of the same age described themselves as shocked and repelled by pornography and fearful of sexual threats. In this investigation an intersectionalist frame of reference is used to elucidate the intertwined power differentials and identity markers of the users' peer group situation.

Enterprise Architecture (EA) serves as a foundational framework for understanding and managing the structure of organizations from both business and technical perspectives. Within the realm of EA, modeling notations play a crucial role in representing the various components and their interrelations. However, the proliferation of different EA modeling notations has led to a complex landscape, with an abundance of element types catering to diverse needs. Therefore, this research endeavors to address this challenge by proposing a systematic analysis of existing EA modeling notations to identify common structures and properties. The overarching aim is to develop a customizable EA modeling framework that optimizes the presentation of element types based on specific user requirements. Through a comprehensive review and analysis, this research seeks to distill the essential components and relationships prevalent across different EA modeling notations. Drawing inspiration from the meta-object facility (MOF) utilized in UML diagrams, this study developed layers of metamodels that encapsulate these common properties. The study's systematic review and analysis identified TOGAF, ArchiMate, FEAF, and IAF as the most used EA frameworks. Then, the taxonomy was developed to classify EA elements across three dimensions: Architecture, Behavior, and Lifecycle. Thus, the representation of common elements through a multilevel model was achieved. Practical examples were created to demonstrate the application and effectiveness of the developed metamodels in enhancing the clarity and flexibility of EA modeling. By providing a standardized yet adaptable framework, this research pursuits to contribute to the advancement of enterprise architecture practices and facilitate more efficient and effective organizational design and management.

The strategic and innovative deployment and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is important to development and the attainment of the millennium development goals (MDGs). Previous studies have suggested that ICT-based trade facilitation promotes development through better integration into global markets. Through an interpretive case study, this chapter explores an ICTbased initiative to connect members of the trading community in Ghana on an electronic data interchange (EDI) platform. More specifi cally, it explored the contributions of the initiative to effi cient trade facilitation and discusses the broader mplications for achieving the MDGs in Ghana. The research confi rms that the initiative has improved operational effi ciency at Ghana’s ports and borders. Furthermore, it has enabled effi cient and reliable collection of duties and taxes. The findings reinforce the view that government support and private sector expertise and funding are important factors in ICT-based e-government solutions in developing countries. The chapter contends that ICT-based trade facilitation can make a significant contribution to the attainment of the MDGs in Ghana.

The strategic importance of information technology (IT) in today's organizations and dependence on IT to support e-government strategies has increased the interest in IT Governance (ITG) in public sector organizations. From this perspective, this paper examines ITG practices in a public organization in Ghana (that has a responsibility to mobilize revenue for national development) in order to gain an insight into IT governance structures, processes and relational mechanisms and understand how this contributes to adding value through IT. The findings have revealed that this public organization has a centralized approach to IT governance, with inadequate board involvement concerning how IT investments can bring value and improve organizational performance. Furthermore, there are no IT steering and strategy committees to oversee IT governance as best practice requires.

In the information age, no organization can thrive without harnessing the power of IT. The effective deployment of IT to achieve business goals and gain competitive advantage requires the alignment of business and IT strategies of organizations. Using the Strategic Alignment Maturity model, this paper evaluates strategic alignment maturity of Customs Excise Preventive service, a frontline public organization charged with trade facilitation in Ghana. Strategic alignment maturity is at level 3; which implies the existence of an established process to leverage IT for efficiency and effectiveness. Efforts are required to strengthen alignment and fully harness the potential of IT to facilitate trade in Ghana.

Cloud computing is a rapidly expanding field. It allows users to access computer system resources as needed, particularly data storage and computational power, without managing them directly. This paper aims to create a data security model based on cryptography and steganography for data in cloud computing that seeks to reduce existing security and privacy concerns, such as data loss, data manipulation, and data theft. To identify the problem and determine its core cause, we studied various literature on existing cloud computing security models. This study utilizes design science research methodology. The design science research approach includes problem identification, requirements elicitation, artifact design and development, demonstration, and assessment. Design thinking and the Python programming language are used to build the artifact, and discussion about its working is represented using histograms, tables, and algorithms. This paper’s output is a four-step data security model based on Rivest–Shamir–Adleman, Advanced Encryption Standard, and identity-based encryption algorithms alongside Least Significant Bit steganography. The four steps are data protection and security through encryption algorithms, steganography, data backup and recovery, and data sharing. This proposed approach ensures more cloud data redundancy, flexibility, efficiency, and security by protecting data confidentiality, privacy, and integrity from attackers.