Insight into hackers' reaction toward information security breach

Abstract This study provides insight into hackers’ reaction toward an information security breach perpetuated either with an ill or good intention. To our knowledge, limited research is available for promoting understanding of whether intent induces different perceived moral affect (i.e., a perpetrator should have feelings of regret, sorrow, guilt, and shame) which explains the effect of perceived intensity of emotional distress on responsibility judgment. Further, research is sparse on enhancing understanding of whether the nature of a perpetrator’s intent affects the moderating role of consideration of the consequences in the relationship between perceived moral affect and responsibility judgment. Increased understanding of the relationships among perceived moral affect, perceived intensity of emotional distress, consideration of the consequences, and responsibility judgment of an information security breach from the hackers’ perspective may shed light on their continued engagement in the act despite society’s disapproval. Analyzes of the responses of 166 hackers recruited at two major hacker conferences reveal that perceived moral affect mediates the effect of perceived intensity of emotional distress on responsibility judgment only in an ill intention breach, and consideration of the consequences strengthens the relationship between perceived moral affect and responsibility judgment only in a good intention breach.