The human element of data exploitation

Abstract

The exploitation of electronic data is a threat to modern society; the diverse challenges raised by cyberthreats are becoming a global priority. The ability to detect, protect, and prevent against data exploitation is an ongoing endeavour. Exploitation methods develop faster than defence technology. This thesis argues and demonstrates that electronic data exploitation, often termed 'cybercrime', is not only a criminal enterprise—there are many legal avenues that rely on people prioritising convenience over privacy. Seven studies were conducted. Study 1 begins by gathering qualitative data to understand perceptions and experience of cybersecurity from a range of stakeholders. The results show cybercrime is a shared problem that all interviewees have experienced. In addition the results suggested cybersecurity is a novel and dynamic knowledge landscape and laws and regulations often fall behind exploitation. Furthermore, humans and their traits are at the core of the problem and there was a clear lack of responsibility taking. Study 2-4 explore ways humans are exploited for their electronic data legally by businesses and corporations through the use of everyday online services. The results from behavioural experiments and self-reported views showed that humans are vulnerable to legal data exploitation. Participants clicked to agree to online terms and conditions ‘clickwrap’ contracts without reading the documents laying out contract terms. The participants who did click the document did not engage with it for enough time to read it fully. Participants self-reported accepting cookies which are ‘browsewrap’ contracts, the reported accepting them for convenience. Study 5-7 explored humans being exploited illegally by 'cyberthreats' carried out by cybercriminals on social media platforms. Currently 60% of the world uses social media in some form, making it an obvious place for cybercriminals to ‘phish’ for victims. Results showed that there are certain types of human individual differences—notably extraversion—that lead people to use certain features of social media that criminals can exploit. This then leads to certain social media users more vulnerable to becoming phished on the platforms. Studies 2-7 directly and indirectly tested the privacy paradox which is a discrepancy where people report intending to protect online privacy and their behaviour does not match, all studies showed the privacy paradox was evident. Overall studies 2-7 show empirical evidence that internet users are legal and illegally exploited for data. Results are discussed with recommendations for future research.

Date of Award	Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	The Leverhulme Trust
Supervisor	Gary McKeown (Supervisor) & John Morison (Supervisor)