Motivation and Demotivation of Hackers in Selecting a Hacking Task

To build a solid foundation on which to understand and combat threats to information systems, researchers need to look past technical security issues and explore why hackers do what they do. Based on General Deterrence Theory and the Theory of Reasoned Action, a structural model is proposed and validated that examines attraction and detraction factors towards a hack. From a motivational perspective, individual characteristics (mastery and curiosity), peer influence and the nature of the task itself are shown to impact hacker’s attitudes. Specifically, we uncover an interesting non-linear relationship between hacking task complexity and a hacker’s attitude towards a hack. From a deterrence perspective, while hackers consider the likelihood of being caught, the severity of punishment/sanctions does not have a significant effect on hackers’ intention to engage in a hacking task. When we better understand what motivates and demotivates these highly skilled users, we gain insights to avoid becoming targets.