Cybersecurity for sustainable product performance through management quality, innovation intensity, and board risk oversight

Abstract

Cybersecurity plays a critical role in protecting digital systems and enabling organizations to deliver reliable, innovative, and sustainable products. Effective cybersecurity regulations strengthen product functionality and support long-term organizational resilience. This study explores the impact of cybersecurity on sustainable product performance and analyzes the moderating effects of management quality, innovation intensity, and board risk oversight. Using purposive sampling with predefined selection criteria, the study analyzes 25 years of data (2000–2025) from 482 non-financial firms listed on the London Stock Exchange, obtained from the Bloomberg database. Diagnostic test results require the application of advanced estimation techniques, including the Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG), Augmented Mean Group (AMG), and two-step difference Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimators. The findings indicate a positive and statistically significant relationship between cybersecurity and sustainable product performance. Management quality, innovation intensity, and board risk oversight significantly and positively moderate this relationship, strengthening the relationship between cybersecurity and sustainable product performance. The results suggest that firms should strengthen cybersecurity frameworks to protect digital assets, improve product outcomes, support innovation, ensure regulatory compliance, and enhance long-term competitiveness and sustainability.