The hidden threat of cyber-attacks – undermining public confidence in government
This paper argues that the primary threat posed by cyber-attacks is not cataclysmic physical destruction - but rather more insidious societal risks such as reduced trust in government. To test this claim, we collect and analyze survey data in the immediate aftermath of a ransomware attack against a...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor and Francis
2022
|
| _version_ | 1826311240461320192 |
|---|---|
| author | Shandler, R Gomez, MA |
| author_facet | Shandler, R Gomez, MA |
| author_sort | Shandler, R |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | This paper argues that the primary threat posed by cyber-attacks is not cataclysmic physical destruction - but rather more insidious societal risks such as reduced trust in government. To test this claim, we collect and analyze survey data in the immediate aftermath of a ransomware attack against a Düsseldorf hospital (n = 707). We find that exposure to cyber-attacks significantly diminishes public confidence among segments of the population who are exposed to the attack. Cyber-attacks exploit particular qualities of cyberspace that are directly tied to matters of public confidence, causing a precipitous drop in public trust. Second, we identify the psychological mechanism underpinning this effect, with anger and dread intervening in countervailing directions. Feelings of anger triggered by exposure to cyber-attacks amplify public confidence, while the more potent feeling of dread reduces confidence. Our findings verify that governments cannot rely on a unifying social-cohesion effect following cyber-attacks since the public is liable to perceive the authorities as incapable of defending against future threats. We conclude by discussing why escalating cyber-threats can cause severe social upheaval and reduce trust in democratic institutions, and discuss what constitutes exposure to the new generation of attacks in cyberspace |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:05:24Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:9aa9518b-6cef-48c6-9ff2-c3f6a8df99c6 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:05:24Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Taylor and Francis |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:9aa9518b-6cef-48c6-9ff2-c3f6a8df99c62023-10-27T14:19:34ZThe hidden threat of cyber-attacks – undermining public confidence in governmentJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:9aa9518b-6cef-48c6-9ff2-c3f6a8df99c6EnglishSymplectic ElementsTaylor and Francis2022Shandler, RGomez, MAThis paper argues that the primary threat posed by cyber-attacks is not cataclysmic physical destruction - but rather more insidious societal risks such as reduced trust in government. To test this claim, we collect and analyze survey data in the immediate aftermath of a ransomware attack against a Düsseldorf hospital (n = 707). We find that exposure to cyber-attacks significantly diminishes public confidence among segments of the population who are exposed to the attack. Cyber-attacks exploit particular qualities of cyberspace that are directly tied to matters of public confidence, causing a precipitous drop in public trust. Second, we identify the psychological mechanism underpinning this effect, with anger and dread intervening in countervailing directions. Feelings of anger triggered by exposure to cyber-attacks amplify public confidence, while the more potent feeling of dread reduces confidence. Our findings verify that governments cannot rely on a unifying social-cohesion effect following cyber-attacks since the public is liable to perceive the authorities as incapable of defending against future threats. We conclude by discussing why escalating cyber-threats can cause severe social upheaval and reduce trust in democratic institutions, and discuss what constitutes exposure to the new generation of attacks in cyberspace |
| spellingShingle | Shandler, R Gomez, MA The hidden threat of cyber-attacks – undermining public confidence in government |
| title | The hidden threat of cyber-attacks – undermining public confidence in government |
| title_full | The hidden threat of cyber-attacks – undermining public confidence in government |
| title_fullStr | The hidden threat of cyber-attacks – undermining public confidence in government |
| title_full_unstemmed | The hidden threat of cyber-attacks – undermining public confidence in government |
| title_short | The hidden threat of cyber-attacks – undermining public confidence in government |
| title_sort | hidden threat of cyber attacks undermining public confidence in government |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shandlerr thehiddenthreatofcyberattacksunderminingpublicconfidenceingovernment AT gomezma thehiddenthreatofcyberattacksunderminingpublicconfidenceingovernment AT shandlerr hiddenthreatofcyberattacksunderminingpublicconfidenceingovernment AT gomezma hiddenthreatofcyberattacksunderminingpublicconfidenceingovernment |