Understanding Cyber Harm: A Structured Framework for Systematic Analysis

Cyber incidents increasingly result in complex and widespread impacts on individuals, organizations, and nations. They often produce cascading effects that traditional threat-focused approaches fail to fully address. This research develops a Cyber Harm Model (CHM) through qualitative methods, including interviews and focus groups with stakeholders from Bangladesh's Critical Information Infrastructures (CII). The CHM contains key dimensions and influencing factors of cyber harm and is accompanied by a taxonomy of these factors. Together, they offer a structured framework for identifying cyber harm, providing a foundation for more effective mitigation strategies at both national and organizational levels.