The Effects of Dark Triad Traits and Perceived Law Enforcement Competence in Responding to Ransomware Attacks

Abstract

This research investigates a largely unexamined psychological element in ransomware attacks, a prevalent form of cybercrime, focusing on how Dark Triad personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) influence victim responses. Traditional responses to ransomware include paying the ransom, abandoning the data/files, and/or reporting the issue to law enforcement. We look at the interaction between these traits and responses. Using a scenario-based survey, we have collected data from 287 participants so far to unearth the relationship between these factors and individual responses to this cybercrime. Such understanding can potentially inform personalized cyber threat prevention strategies, ultimately enhancing cybersecurity research. The paper also examines the implications of its findings for both research and practice.