Dark Traits and Hacking Potential

Abstract

This paper investigates the psychological traits of individuals' attraction to engaging in hacking behaviors (both ethical and illegal/unethical) upon entering the workforce. A new set of scales have been developed to assist in the delineation of the three hat categories. We have also developed a scale to measure each subject's perception of the probability of being apprehended for violating privacy laws. The results suggest that 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 in the thrill-seeking dimension, and white hatters, the good guys, tend to be narcissists. Thrill-seeking was moderately important for white hat and black hat hacking, and opposition to authority was significant for grey hat hacking. Narcissism was not statistically significant in any of the models. A perceived probability of being apprehended had a negative effect on both grey hat and black hat hacking. Additional models were explored to examine the relationships among the research variables.

Primary and Secondary Control as Antecedents to the Dark Traits in Predicting Attraction to Hacking Behavior

“…Although research is still emerging on the role of the Dark Triad in developing a hacker persona, some existing research indicates that some or all of the Dark Triad personality traits predict hacking intent or feelings about hacking. For example, a study involving 474 subjects found that white, grey, and black hat hackers scored high on the Machiavellian and psychopathy scales (Gaia 2021). Another recent study found relationships between the Dark Triad and techniques for hacking.…”