The Sample Data Breach Notification letter is an example of both economic and social science theories.

The breach could be viewed as evidence of the Marxian economic theory that believes those with power and resources exploit those who don’t for their gain. The glass washer company had the resources for a service people found desirable. The consumers gave the company sensitive data to receive a service from the company. Now that the glass washer company has suffered a breach is it the consumers who are now at risk. The customers also likely lack the money or knowledge to protect themselves not that their data is compromised.

Alternately, the notification can be seen as the laissez-faire economic theory in action. The whole situation was a matter of private companies and individuals, without direct government interference until a crime was committed. The glass washer company is a private business, that utilized a third-party platform provider and cybersecurity firm. This is all a flow of goods and services amongst non-governmental organizations operating within the economy. The only direct government involvement in the breach is the federal law enforcement’s investigation. The government wasn’t involved in how the glass washer company tried to prevent breaches but only stepped in to help respond to the breach.

The situation is also an example of social science theories. Routine Activities Theory views cybercrime as the result of three conditions being met. These conditions include a motivated cybercriminal, a target, which was the third-party platform, and the lack of strong cybersecurity, as shown by the exploit the hackers leveraged. Then there is the social network theory which believes that the relationship between parties is built on trust and that changes in that trust level can change the relationship. The glass washer’s company handling of the breach will change the trust level between them and their customers and impact their relationship going forward.