The principle of legality constitutes one of the basic principles of the government’s rule of law, and as a result, it has been recognized as one of the most essential guarantees of human rights. The goals of sustainable development have a strong link with the principle of legality, and achievements in accomplishing a goal can frequently contribute to the accomplishment of other goals in addition. The United Arab Emirates’ constitutional framework, regulations, and rules, along with the goals for sustainable development (SDGs), were profoundly affected by the principle of legality. The method in which international standards and laws have been integrated into the UAE’s national legal framework provides definitive proof of this effect. The research concluded that all published and unofficial legal regulations have to be respected in order for public authorities to use within the limits of the principle of legality. These involve adhering to the standards of positive legitimacy and the fundamental regulations the community agrees on.

The growing interconnectedness of the world has led to a rise in cybersecurity risks. Although it is increasingly conventional to use technology to assist business transactions, exposure to these risks must be minimised to allow business owners to do transactions in a secure manner. While a wide range of studies have been undertaken regarding the effects of cyberattacks on several industries and sectors, However, very few studies have focused on the effects of cyberattacks on the educational sector, specifically higher educational institutions (HEIs) in West Africa. Consequently, this study developed a survey and distributed it to HEIs particularly universities in West Africa to examine the data architectures they employed, the cyberattacks they encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic period, and the role of data analysis in decision-making, as well as the countermeasures employed in identifying and preventing cyberattacks. A total of one thousand, one hundred and sixty-four (1164) responses were received from ninety-three (93) HEIs and analysed. According to the study’s findings, data-informed architecture was adopted by 71.8% of HEIs, data-driven architecture by 24.1%, and data-centric architecture by 4.1%, all of which were vulnerable to cyberattacks. In addition, there are further concerns around data analysis techniques, staff training gaps, and countermeasures for cyberattacks. The study’s conclusion includes suggestions for future research topics and recommendations for repelling cyberattacks in HEIs.