Abstract
Cybercrime has rapidly grown in prevalence and potential for harm and disruption for victims. Studies have examined the adverse psychological impact of cybercrime for victims; however, the specific effects for victims of hacking are unexplored. The present study aimed to investigate the psychological impacts of hacking victimization through exploration of the experience of victims of hacking. The study employed an in-depth phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of 11 victims of hacking. Semi-structured interviews were used as a tool for data collection, and thematic analysis of the data revealed four main themes: emotional impact; an increased sense of vulnerability; a sense of violation; and coping strategies. The findings highlight that hacking may have significant consequences for victims, and further, that hacking may represent an intrusion into a victim’s “digital space.” Recommendations are discussed for providing support to victims through measures aimed at increasing victim’s self-efficacy, sense of control over their digital environment, and increasing community awareness about the potential adverse impacts for victims of hacking.
RAS ID
40658
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
11-1-2021
Volume
11
Issue
4
Funding Information
Cyber Security Research Centre Limited
Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Programme
School
School of Arts and Humanities
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Publisher
SAGE
Recommended Citation
Palassis, A., Speelman, C. P., & Pooley, J. (2021). An exploration of the psychological impact of hacking victimization. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211061556
Comments
Palassis, A., Speelman, C. P., & Pooley, J. A. (2021). An exploration of the psychological impact of hacking victimization. SAGE Open, 11(4), 1-12.
https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211061556