"New Study Reveals Insights Into Insider Computer Abuse and Organizational Security"
Insider Computer Abuse (ICA), also known as the unauthorized and intentional misuse of organizational information resources by insiders, remains a significant threat to the security of organizational information systems. Recent studies have shown that many employees would share confidential or regulated information under certain circumstances, despite efforts to discourage and penalize such behavior. In addition, a considerable number of security breaches involve insiders. These findings indicate that current security measures, which rely primarily on deterrence-based sanctions, are ineffective in addressing the ICA problem. A recent study titled "Going Beyond Deterrence: A Middle-Range Theory of Motives and Controls for Insider Computer Abuse," published by Information Systems Research, addressed the ongoing issue of ICA. The study aims to gain further insight into insiders' motivations and the controls that impact their behavior. The team behind the study proposed a middle-range theory of ICA, emphasizing the inherent tensions between insider motivations and organizational controls. They identified two types of personal motives that help explain why insiders may engage in ICA. This article continues to discuss insights from the study on ICA and organizational security.