Assessing the correlates of cyberattacks against high-visibility institutions

Abstract

ABSTRACT While cyberattacks are a persistent problem, particularly web defacements, it is unclear what factors differentiate the likelihood of these attacks based on the type of institution that could be targeted. Military and government entities are high-visibility targets for some attackers, though it is unclear whether they are more likely to be defaced on the basis of their operational characteristics or the motives of the attacker. The same is true for educational institutions, which are frequently targeted by ideologically motivated hackers and others seeking to abuse their IT infrastructure. The current study attempted to address this gap in the literature through the application of routine activities theory to identify the factors significantly associated with web defacements against military, government, and educational web domains. Using a sample of 2.2 million web defacements, we examined the perceived value, inertia, visibility, and accessibility of the targets and the attack methods employed in each defacement. The implications of this analysis for our understanding of cyberattacks against high-visibility institutions are discussed in detail.