Personality and situational predictors of insider threat: a vignette study

Insider threats pose a significant security risk, yet personality traits are rarely incorporated into detection and prevention efforts. This study offers the first systematic examination of how Dark Tetrad (i.e. Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism) and Big Five personality traits, together with situational motivators, predict the propensity to engage in three types of insider attacks.
Participants (N = 470; 71% female; age M = 35.94, SD = 12.70) completed measures of the Dark Tetrad (SD3, SSIS) and Big Five domains and facets (BFI-2), then responded to three counterbalanced vignettes depicting National Security Espionage, Information Technology Sabotage, and Fraud. For each vignette, participants rated their likelihood of engaging in the behaviour under baseline conditions and when (a) aggrieved, (b) facing termination, or (c) able to secure a financial gain.
Participants showed greater willingness to engage in fraud and information technology sabotage if they felt aggrieved or anticipated termination. Machiavellianism (r = .49), psychopathy (r = .50), and sadism (r = .53) showed strong positive associations with insider-attack propensity. Agreeableness (r = -.50) and conscientiousness (r = -.37) were the strongest Big Five predictors.
The findings indicate that antagonistic and exploitative personality traits, combined with situational pressures, meaningfully shape intentions to engage in insider misconduct.
What is already known about this topic:
Insider threats can cause significant financial, operational, and security harm, yet most detection and prevention efforts focus on technical or organizational controls rather than individual differences.
Personality traits, particularly low agreeableness and low conscientiousness, are known predictors of workplace deviance more broadly.
Situational pressures such as perceived injustice, termination, and opportunities for financial gain can increase the likelihood of misconduct.

Insider threats can cause significant financial, operational, and security harm, yet most detection and prevention efforts focus on technical or organizational controls rather than individual differences.
Personality traits, particularly low agreeableness and low conscientiousness, are known predictors of workplace deviance more broadly.
Situational pressures such as perceived injustice, termination, and opportunities for financial gain can increase the likelihood of misconduct.
What this study adds:
This study provides the first systematic assessment of how Big Five traits and Dark Tetrad traits jointly relate to insider-attack intentions across multiple attack types.
Antagonistic and exploitative traits (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and sadism) were the strongest dispositional predictors, while low agreeableness and low conscientiousness also meaningfully contributed.
Situational motivators, particularly feeling aggrieved or facing termination, substantially increased willingness to engage in insider misconduct, highlighting the value of integrating trait and context information in insider-risk programs.

This study provides the first systematic assessment of how Big Five traits and Dark Tetrad traits jointly relate to insider-attack intentions across multiple attack types.
Antagonistic and exploitative traits (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and sadism) were the strongest dispositional predictors, while low agreeableness and low conscientiousness also meaningfully contributed.
Situational motivators, particularly feeling aggrieved or facing termination, substantially increased willingness to engage in insider misconduct, highlighting the value of integrating trait and context information in insider-risk programs.