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1. Economic Incentives and Perceptions as Critical Factors for Understanding Insider Hacking Behavior

   Amo, Laura; Gaia, Joana; Murray, David; Sanders, George; Sanders, Sean; Singh, Raghavendra; Upadhyaya, Shambhu (January 2024, Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences)

   The objective of this research is to investigate the influence of interest in white hat capabilities, income levels, and perceptions of being apprehended on the willingness to violate privacy regulations as measured by the amount of money required to violate medical privacy. The research model was developed by drawing on the economics of crime literature, prospect theory and the emerging Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Behavior model. This study involved 523 individuals on the cusp of entering the workforce, which places them all as potential insider hackers according to zero trust models of insider behavior. Despite many subjects believing there is a high probability of being caught, they could still be incentivized to violate HIPAA laws. Approximately 222 (or 42%) of the survey participants indicated a price, ranging from zero dollars to over $10 million, that they deemed acceptable for violating HIPAA laws. Income levels, white hat hacking capabilities, monetary incentives to commit a crime, and the perceived probability of being apprehended were statistically significant predictors of the amount of money required to violate HIPAA laws. 

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2. Psychological Profiling of Hacking Potential

   Gaia, J; Ramamurthy, B; Sanders, L; Sanders, S; Upadhyaya, S; Wang, X; Yoo, C (January 2020, Proceedings of the 53rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences)

   This paper investigates the psychological traits of individuals’ attraction to engaging in hacking behaviors (both ethical and illegal/unethical)upon entering the workforce.We examine the role of the Dark Triad, Opposition to Authority and Thrill-Seeking traits as regards the propensity of an individual to be interested in White Hat, Black Hat,and Grey Hat hacking. A new set of scales were developed to assist in the delineation of the three hat categories. We also developed a scale to measure each subject’s perception of the probability of being apprehended for violating privacy laws. Engaging in criminal activity involves a choice where there are consequences and opportunities, and individuals perceive them differently, but they can be deterred if there is a likelihood of punishment,and the punishment is severe. The results suggest that individuals that are White Hat, Grey Hat and Black Hat hackers score high on the Machiavellian and Psychopathy scales. We also found evidence that Grey Hatters oppose authority, Black Hatters score high on the thrill-seeking dimension and White Hatters, the good guys, tend to be Narcissists. Thrill-seeking was moderately important for White Hat hacking and Black hat hacking. Opposition to Authority was important for Grey Hat hacking. Narcissism was not statistically significant in any of the models. The probability of being apprehended had a negative effect on Grey Hat and Black Hat hacking. Several suggestions will be made on what organizations can do to address insider threats. 

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3. Psychological Profiling of Hacking Potential

   Gaia, J; Ramamurthy, B; Sanders, G; Sanders, S; Upadhyaya, S; Wang, X; Yoo, C (January 2020, Proceedings of the 53rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences)

   This paper investigates the psychological traits of individuals’ attraction to engaging in hacking behaviors (both ethical and illegal/unethical)upon entering the workforce.We examine the role of the Dark Triad, Opposition to Authority and Thrill-Seeking traits as regards the propensity of an individual to be interested in White Hat, Black Hat,and Grey Hat hacking. A new set of scales were developed to assist in the delineation of the three hat categories. We also developed a scale to measure each subject’s perception of the probability of being apprehended for violating privacy laws. Engaging in criminal activity involves a choice where there are consequences and opportunities, and individuals perceive them differently, but they can be deterred if there is a likelihood of punishment,and the punishment is severe. The results suggest that individuals that are White Hat, Grey Hat and Black Hat hackers score high on the Machiavellian and Psychopathy scales. We also found evidence that Grey Hatters oppose authority, Black Hatters score high on the thrill-seeking dimension and White Hatters, the good guys, tend to be Narcissists. Thrill-seeking was moderately important for White Hat hacking and Black hat hacking. Opposition to Authority was important for Grey Hat hacking. Narcissism was not statistically significant in any of the models. The probability of being apprehended had a negative effect on Grey Hat and Black Hat hacking. Several suggestions will be made on what organizations can do to address insider threats. 

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4. The Relationship Between Crime Rates and Socio-Economic Factors in Maryland

   Zenebe, Azene; Lakew, Nega; Obisesan, Ademola; Ponnala, Nitisha; Parker, Moriah (April 2025, National Association of Business, Economics and Technology)

   Sigmond, Norman C (Ed.)

   This study aims to find how crime rates in Maryland are connected to different socioeconomic elements. This study is focused on understanding how crime rates link up with factors like unemployment, household income levels, racial backgrounds, and the level of education people have. A quantitative analysis of state-level crime data from 2010 to 2020 was used; the study employs a comprehensive range of methods. Conducted a detailed picture through descriptive analysis, then reshaped data using log and square root transformations, and tested hypotheses with a t-test. The paper further examines the relationships between variables through a correlation matrix before applying ordinary least squares regression to predict outcomes. It has been discovered that areas facing more significant economic challenges seen through higher Unemployment rates and diminished earnings frequently show an uptick in crime. The examination highlights a strong link between unemployment and criminal behavior, especially in counties where families consistently earn less. Research highlights how vital education is by showing that when people achieve higher levels of education, they tend to commit fewer crimes. The study illuminates the intricate interplay between economic factors and criminal activities, offering invaluable insights for law enforcement agencies and policymakers. These insights can guide the development of effective strategies to combat crime; ultimately, the research deepens our understanding of how economic fluctuations significantly influence crime rates in Maryland. 

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5. Fraud in disaster: Rethinking the phases

   https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101232  

   B.E. Aguirre, David Lane (July 2019, International journal of disaster risk reduction)

   This paper reexamines the link between disasters and crime to argue that the relationship between the two becomes more evident once the diachronic nature of the disaster is specified. The first section appraises the literature on crime and disaster and calls for more attention to this topic. The subsequent sections of the paper present multiple evidence for the occurrence of crimes and fraud in disasters and the results of preliminary empirical research using U.S. Department of Justice information on the reported white collar and other types of crimes occurring in the aftermath of the Katrina Hurricane and the British Petroleum Gulf Coast oil spill. The findings indicate that crimes and frauds occur during the earliest phases of disasters and that the probability for the occurrence of costlier crimes, akin to white-collar crime, increases, as time elapses. The conclusion calls for a reconceptualization of the phases of disasters. 

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