Abstract

Data breaches across various industries infer that human curiosity has a powerful influence on information security behaviors. Drawing on Human Curiosity Theory, this study seeks to determine the impact that human curiosity has on information security policy violations despite the existence of training programs to increase information security awareness, the sanctions for violating information system policies, and the costs far exceeding the benefits associated with an information security violation. This study explores how human curiosity leads to data breaches by focusing on the innate desire of knowledge acquisition and the aversive emotional state resulting from knowledge deprivation. This leads to the two main objectives of this study: (1) identify and propose security countermeasures to curb insider curiosity and prevent data breaches and (2) present how Human Curiosity Theory challenges the notions of both General Deterrence Theory and Rational Choice Theory.

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Eating the Forbidden Fruit: Human Curiosity Entices Data Breaches

Data breaches across various industries infer that human curiosity has a powerful influence on information security behaviors. Drawing on Human Curiosity Theory, this study seeks to determine the impact that human curiosity has on information security policy violations despite the existence of training programs to increase information security awareness, the sanctions for violating information system policies, and the costs far exceeding the benefits associated with an information security violation. This study explores how human curiosity leads to data breaches by focusing on the innate desire of knowledge acquisition and the aversive emotional state resulting from knowledge deprivation. This leads to the two main objectives of this study: (1) identify and propose security countermeasures to curb insider curiosity and prevent data breaches and (2) present how Human Curiosity Theory challenges the notions of both General Deterrence Theory and Rational Choice Theory.