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Agent-Based Behavior Precursor Model of Insider IT Sabotage

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Complex Adaptive Systems

Part of the book series: Understanding Complex Systems ((UCS))

Abstract

Insider IT sabotage can be defined as the use of information technology to cause harm to an organization or an individual. Behavioral precursors are usually observable during the evolution of the threat. These precursors include personal predispositions such as rule and policy violations or mental health disorders, expressed disgruntlement due to unmet expectations or stressful events experienced by highly skilled employees with access to administrate systems, networks, and data in the organization. This research uses an agent-based modeling and simulation approach for modeling behavior precursors of insider IT sabotage within an organization using a risk scale. The specific behavioral precursors include the individual’s predisposition, disgruntlement, stress levels, technical skill levels and the level of access to the computer systems. The simulation provides a framework for exploring the emergence and development of insider IT sabotage within organizations for different turnover rates.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OASD (R&E)) agreement FA8750-15-2-0120

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The views and conclusions contained in this paper are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as the as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OASD (R&E))

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Correspondence to Erika G. Ardiles Cruz .

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Ardiles Cruz, E.G., Sokolowski, J.A., Kroecker, T., Shetty, S. (2019). Agent-Based Behavior Precursor Model of Insider IT Sabotage. In: Carmichael, T., Collins, A., Hadžikadić, M. (eds) Complex Adaptive Systems. Understanding Complex Systems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20309-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20309-2_4

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