Evaluation and Ranking of Cybersecurity System Selection Criteria in Iranian Banks Using the AHP Approach

The primary objective of this research is to identify, prioritize, and weight the key criteria influencing the selection of a cybersecurity system in Iranian banks. Given the ۴۰۰% increase in cyberattacks targeting the national banking network over the past three years, selecting an appropriate system has become a strategic challenge for IT managers. This study is applied in purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature. To identify the criteria, a systematic literature review (examining ۷۲ reputable international articles) was combined with an expert panel consisting of ۱۵ security managers from both private and state-owned banks. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Expert Choice ۱۱ software were employed for weighting and ranking the criteria. The overall inconsistency rate of the matrices was calculated to be less than ۰.۰۸. The AHP results indicate that the criterion "Real-time Threat Detection" (C۱) ranks first with a weight of ۰.۲۹۱, followed by "Customer Data Security" (C۲) with a weight of ۰.۲۴۸, and "Compatibility with Existing Infrastructure" (C۳) with a weight of ۰.۱۹۲, ranking second and third, respectively. The criterion "Implementation and Maintenance Cost" (C۴) with a weight of ۰.۱۳۸ ranked fourth, and "Intelligent Reporting Capability" (C۵) with a weight of ۰.۱۳۱ ranked fifth. The novelty of this research lies in the combination of a systematic literature review with a specialized panel of banking experts and the application of AHP within the unique context of Iran's banking network, offering a practical and quantitative framework for decision-making in the acquisition of security systems. Unlike previous studies that predominantly focused on purely technical aspects, this research also covers organizational, legal, and economic dimensions.

Keywords:

Cybersecurity , E-banking , Security System Selection , Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) , Evaluation Criteria , Real-time Threat Detection