Illegal Cybersecurity Threats Created by Organizational Arsonists in Healthcare Organizations
Laura Jones, Darrell Norman Burrell · Law Economics and Society · 2025
Insider cybersecurity threats in healthcare, often overlooked or narrowly defined as technical vulnerabilities, can be more accurately described as acts of organizational arson, representing deliberate, malicious acts designed to ignite chaos within digital ecosystems. Like physical arsonists who destroy property through fire, insider actors exploit their privileged access to organizational systems, causing financial devastation, operational disruption, and severe damage to organizational morale and stability. Insider incidents cost organizations millions annually, with cybersecurity teams dedicating significant time and resources to crisis management rather than strategic planning. This commentary-style paper reframes insider cybersecurity threats using the metaphor of organizational arsonists, offering a unique and powerful framework for understanding these complex risks. By integrating cybersecurity, law, and organizational psychology insights, the paper presents a comprehensive approach to mitigating insider threats that extend beyond technical defenses. It emphasizes the necessity of human-centric strategies, ethical accountability, and legal compliance, calling for organizations to adopt a holistic defense posture that addresses both technological vulnerabilities and behavioral risks. The paper's originality lies in bridging multiple disciplines and framing insider threats as technical challenges and full-scale organizational crises. Combining advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence with human behavior analysis provides actionable strategies for organizations to combat their own digital arsonists. This interdisciplinary approach encourages cybersecurity professionals, legal scholars, and organizational leaders to rethink insider threat management, creating a more resilient and secure organizational environment.