Graduation Year
2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Degree Granting Department
Criminology
Major Professor
John Cochran, Ph.D.
Co-Major Professor
David Maimon, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Ráchael Powers, Ph.D.
Keywords
Cybercrime, Particularistic restrictive deterrence, Hacking, Hackers, Cybercrime, Particularistic restrictive deterrence, Hacking, Hackers, System trespassers
Abstract
System trespassing, which refers to the unauthorized access of computer systems, has rapidly become a worldwide phenomenon. Despite growing concern, criminological literature has paid system trespassing little attention. The current study utilizes data gathered from a Chinese computer network to examine system trespasser behavior after exposure to one of three warning messages: an altruistic message used for moral persuasion (warning 1), a legal sanction threat (warning 2), and an ambiguous threat (warning 3). More specifically, the current study examines the temporal order of various keystroke commands to determine if some keystroke commands are used as a tactical skill to avoid detection. The results of a series of bivariate cross-tabulations show that encountering a standard legal threat or ambiguous threat increase the early use of reconnaissance commands; however, these findings were not pronounced enough to gain statistical significance. Since the current study is the first known test of particularistic restrictive deterrence in cyberspace it informs those working in cyber security, whilst expanding the scope of the theory.
Scholar Commons Citation
Howell, Christian Jordan-Michael, "The Restrictive Deterrent Effect of Warning Banners in a Compromised Computer System" (2016). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/6259
