AN ASSESSMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, DATA SECURITY, CONFIDENTIALITY, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE WITHIN THE BANKING INSTITUTION: A CASE OF A COMMERCIAL BANK IN SIERRA LEONE, 2015 - 2023

Commercial Banks in Sierra Leone have tremendously profited from technology innovative sciences in the form of information and communication technology (ICT) usage, which have positively impacted the performance of employees and stimulated customers’ actions and reactions with the desire to keep doing business with these banks. Data security and confidentiality have become very important as delivery systems and productivity tools of electronic data and information. The focus of this study is to assess information technology, data security, confidentiality and organizational performance within banking institution in Sierra Leone from 2015 – 2023, a case of the Commercial Bank (CB). This study principally focuses on the effectiveness of computerization, confidentiality, and data security on the performance of the banking system in the targeted Commercial Bank and to examine how computerization and data security has impacted the performance of the Commercial Bank. Sixty (60) questionnaires were given out and fifty-two (52) of the questionnaires were responded to, which were used for this study. The questionnaire drawn distinctly to suit the purpose were administered to various respondents in a 4-point Likert scale of Agree, Strongly Agree, Fairly Agree or Disagree. The chi square statistical tool was used in testing the hypothesis by testing the “Goodness or Fitness” of the frequencies. Some of the major findings were: information and communication technologies are widely accepted by the banking sector; commercial banks in Sierra Leone have now realized that banking today requires prompt delivery of services, efficiency, and the ability for customers to be served in any of their branches any part of the country, without any encumbrance. This study recommends-that - the CB invests hugely on ICT for efficient management of technological innovations and the use of (ICT) and capacity building of staff should not only be restricted to the cities alone, but rural banks should also be improved upon from time to time.