Group Members: Stefano Michele Hidalgo, Fabio Chiarini, Sergio Vittorio Zambelli, Giovanni D'Ambrosio
Course: Cybersecurity Master’s Program, University of Pisa
Project: Organizational Science and Cybersecurity Case Study
Grade: 30+ (Highest Evaluation)
This case study explores Valve Corporation—a company renowned for its flat organizational structure and strong culture of autonomy. Our objective was to design a cybersecurity strategy that strengthens Valve’s resilience without undermining its innovative work environment.
The result: a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (CoE) tailored to Valve’s unique needs.
Valve is a leading force in gaming and digital distribution, yet its flat hierarchy presents challenges for implementing centralized cybersecurity protocols. Our approach involved:
- Organizational Analysis – Understanding Valve’s decentralized, innovation-driven model.
- SWOT Evaluation – Identifying cybersecurity-related strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
- Strategic Design – Proposing a balanced solution: the Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.
- Comparative Framework – Drawing insights from ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity.
The CoE acts as a strategic, knowledge-sharing hub that:
- Provides advisory services without enforcing hierarchical control.
- Promotes cybersecurity training and company-wide awareness.
- Collaborates externally with expert bodies (e.g., ENISA).
- Facilitates innovation by securing Valve’s infrastructure transparently and respectfully.
- Build Awareness – Empower employees through continuous learning.
- Enable Collaboration – Coordinate cross-team security initiatives.
- Drive Adaptation – Evolve with emerging cybersecurity trends.
Valve's flat culture demands thoughtful, non-intrusive solutions. Our CoE proposal preserves the company's core values—freedom, creativity, and independence—while elevating its cybersecurity maturity.
This strategy respects Valve’s structure and reinforces security through trust, not control.
- 🔍 SWOT Analysis of Valve’s cybersecurity environment
- 🧱 Strategic Proposal for a Center of Excellence
- 🌐 Comparative Analysis referencing ENISA’s model
- 📄 Final Presentation (PDF) – Included in this repository
- Valve’s Public Organizational Reports
- SWOT Framework – Internal and external evaluations
- ENISA Documentation – Policy and strategic modeling
- Cybersecurity Best Practices – Industry-aligned recommendations
This project, completed as part of the Cybersecurity Master’s program at the University of Pisa, reflects a balance between strategic thinking and cultural respect. Valve’s case proves that security and innovation can coexist—if approached with care.
We hope this serves as a valuable reference for similarly structured organizations navigating the cybersecurity landscape.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to explore our project materials and presentation. 🚀