Research Projects

UNDERSTANDING THE INSIDER THREAT: PERSONALITY FACTORS VS SITUATIONAL FACTORS

This study aims to investigate the moderating effects of dispositional factors against the effect of situational factors on an insider’s attitude towards preventing misbehaviour in the domain of information security. Studies of this nature could be significant for organisations grappling with the insider threat problem. The insider threat problem is challenging and multifaceted and requires a multiprong mitigation strategy involving the technical, organisational, social-technical and sociological influences. This study considers the socio-technical influence of the human element within the information security domain.

Status: In Progress (Data Collection)

Understanding the Insider Threat

Preliminary Findings from a Survey on Personality Factors Versus Situational Factors

Article submitted to a conference:

Abstract—This study investigated the moderating effects of dispositional factors against the effect of situational factors on an insider’s attitude towards insider compliance the domain of information security. The situational factors consider the manipulation of the environment via the measures of Situational Crime Prevention. There is a dearth of studies that consider the moderating effects of both situational factors and personality factors within the information security domain within this context. Studies of this nature could be significant for organisations grappling with the insider threat problem. The insider threat problem is challenging and multifaceted and requires a multiprong mitigation strategy involving the technical, organisational, social-technical and sociological influences. This study considers the socio-technical influence of the human element within the information security domain.

The Insider Threat Neutralisation Mitigation model predicated on Cognitive Dissonance (ITNM^CD)

The insider threat is a complex issue as the problem domain intersects the social, the technical and the socio-technical dimensions. Consequently counteracting the insider threat involves influencing the insider’s perceptions and behaviour in order to ensure compliance. When an individual’s actions and beliefs are incongruent, this induces a phenomenon known as cognitive dissonance. In this state, individuals are self-motivated to change either their behaviours or beliefs or they may rationalise their behaviour to reduce this dissonance. Neutralisation is a technique used by criminals to rationalise maleficence. In terms of the insider threat, it has been proposed that if the justifications for committing an offence are eliminated then the insider is less likely to commit the offence. This process is known as neutralisation mitigation. This research proposes that inducing cognitive dissonance may be a means of mitigating the neutralisations that the insider may use to justify maleficence. To integrate these concepts into an implementable solution − the Insider Threat Neutralisation Mitigation model predicated on Cognitive Dissonance (ITNM^CD) is proposed.

Status of Project: Completed

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18489/sacj.v56i1.263

This article is a work-in-progress, if you wish to cite it, you must contact the author for permission.

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