EXPERTISE
Information Security Management
Cybersecurity/Healthcare Security
Cyberpsychology
Human–Computer Interaction
Business Intelligence
FACULTY PROFILE
Dr. Abbas Toure is an Assistant Professor of Information Technology and Cybersecurity at Governors State University (GSU), where he brings a distinctive combination of scholarly rigor, program leadership, and hands-on instructional expertise to the classroom. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Computer and Information Security from Northcentral University, an institution recognized as a Center for Academic Excellence and accredited by ACBSP. His doctoral research examined how non-technical management factors shape information security outcomes in health informatics environments — a line of inquiry he has continued across several peer-reviewed publications and conference proceedings.
Prior to joining GSU, Dr. Toure served for over eight years at Volunteer State Community College, rising to Assistant and Associate Professor while simultaneously serving as Chair of the Computer and Information Technology Department and as the inaugural Director of the Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD). In that role, he successfully led the institution through the rigorous NSA recognition process, earning the CAE-CD designation.
He now serves as GSU's Point of Contact and institutional liaison to the NSA Program Management Office as the university pursues the same recognition — contributing directly to the national infrastructure for cybersecurity education.
Dr. Toure's research interests span information security management, cyberpsychology, human-computer interaction, healthcare security, and organizational behavior.
His recent scholarship includes work on inoculation theory as a framework for building cognitive immunity against cyber threats, published in international peer-reviewed venues. He holds certifications from Cisco, NSA (CNSS 4011), NCyTE, and Infosec, and is a Life Member of both Delta Mu Delta and Golden Key International Honor Societies.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
Northcentral University (CAE; ACBSP), Prescott, AZ
Ph.D.
04/2013
Business Administration; Conc.: Computer and Information Security
Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN
M.B.A.
12/1999
Business Administration
University of Science and Technology (UST), Kumasi, Ghana
B.A. (Magna Cum Laude)
05/1994
Publishing Studies (Editing and Marketing Management)
Imam, A. (2023). Towards a Comprehensive Approach to Information Security Management: Empowering the Human Factor for Enhanced Security. International Journal of Computer Trends and Technology, 71(8), pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.14445/22312803/IJCTT-V71I8P101
Imam, A. & Hammoud, M. (2014). The Impact of Non-Technical Security Management Factors on Information Security Management in Health Informatics. Journal of Information Technology & Business Management, 26(1), pp. 13-28.
Imam, A. (2014). The Role of Top Leadership in the Management of Organizational Information Security Strategies. Review of Management Innovation and Creativity, 7(22).
Imam, A. & Said, S. (2021). Examining the Pedagogical Best Practices of Student Mastery of Cyber Security in Higher Education. Journal of Computing Engineering & Information Technology, 10(10).
Imam, A.H. & Said, S. (2017). A Study of Cybersecurity Competencies and Teaching Pedagogies. Proceedings, IIC Conference, Nashville, TN.
Toure, A. (2026). Cognitive Immunity in Cybersecurity: Using Inoculation Theory to Build Resilient Human Firewalls. Accepted, ITNG 2026: 23rd International Conference on Information Technology-New Generations, April 2026.
Toure, A.; Salam, M.; Manprisio, R.; & Unnisa, S. (2025). Examining Information Technology Support for Children with Special Educational Needs in Under-Resourced Communities. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology. https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25nov1567.
View Dr. Abbas Toure's CV