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University of Mississippi

Mr Hyde Or Dr. Jekyll? Characteristics Of The Information Systems Security Mindset

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Information security professionals have a unique challenge in today's connected world. They are charged with protecting digital assets from individuals, groups, and even foreign governments with little or no restrictions limiting their behavior. To be successful, security experts must have the mindset and skills of those who seek to harm their organization, but most are not alloto retaliate, in kind. Instead, they must use these skills only to predict and to prevent future attacks; thus using their technical prowess for good and not for evil. In a survey of 330 information security professionals, the data reveals six mindsets of security experts through a latent class analysis. One class emerged containing approximately 52% of the respondents, which indicates that the information security field is consistent with social identity theory and contains significant homogeneity in mindset toward securing an organization's digital assets. Additionally, personality characteristics such as Creativity, Trait Competitiveness, and Morality influence membership in one of six information security mindsets.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph.D. in Business Administration
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Management Information Systems
Year dc:date.available
2014

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Pumphrey, David
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Brian J. Reithel
  • John P. Bentley
  • Tony Ammeter

Subjects

dc:subject × 6

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/665
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-1664

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Mississippi
Base URL
egrove.olemiss.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Pumphrey, David. Mr Hyde Or Dr. Jekyll? Characteristics Of The Information Systems Security Mindset. Dissertation thesis, 2014. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/665