The Dark Side of the Insider: Detecting the Insider Threat through Examination of Dark Triad Personality Traits

Abstract

Efforts to understand what goes on in the mind of an insider have taken a back seat to developing technical controls, yet insider threat incidents persist. We examine insider threat incidents with malicious intent and propose an explanation through a relationship between Dark Triad personality traits and the insider threat. Although Dark Triad personality traits have emerged in insider threat cases and deviant workplace behavior studies, they have not been labeled as such and little empirical research has examined this phenomenon. This paper builds on previous research on insider threat and introduces ten propositions concerning the relationship between Dark Triad personality traits and insider threat behavior. We include behavioral antecedents based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and Capability Means Opportunity (CMO) model and the factors affecting those antecedents. This research addresses the behavioral aspect of the insider threat and provides new information in support of academics and practitioners.