Appendix A - Interview Protocol

Appendix A: Interview Protocol

Appendix A: Interview Protocol

Introduction

Before I begin the recording, I just wanted to reconfirm that you agree to the consent form, are still willing to participate, and have no final questions.

[Audio recording starts here after consent form is confirmed]

Opening

Thank you for taking time to participate in this research study on Deterrence and Response Improvements for a Large-Scale Cyberterrorism Attack. As you know, I am Harrison Cunningham, a Ph.D. student at Walden University. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of terrorism and cybersecurity experts in the United States to understand how the country might better prevent and respond to a large-scale cyberterrorism attack. The findings of this study may help U.S. government policymakers determine if large-scale cyberterrorism attack guidelines could be improved in order to better prevent and respond to any major attack. This conversation is confidential, and your identity will be protected using a code created specifically for this study.

Interview Questions

The next 18 questions are open-ended. I will ask one question at a time and then give you as much time as you need to respond. Please be as detailed as possible with your responses. If you are unable to answer a question, just let me know and we will move on to the next one. There may be times when I will ask probing questions to get deeper responses or for clarification, but I will not ask questions with the intent of attempting to draw you to a particular answer. Let’s begin.

[Begin the interview research questions in Appendix B]

Conclusion

That concludes the questions. Thank you again for your time. The next step for me will be to transcribe this interview and send you a copy that you can edit as you desire. Please send any edits back to me as soon as you can after you receive the transcription. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.