How has cyber technology created opportunities for workplace deviance?

As cyber technology has grown, so has the workforce and the problem that come along with them. The difference between technology and humans is that humans have free will and tend to stray from the set of rules they are given, also known as workplace deviance. There are many things that account for workplace deviance, but in the cybersecurity field cyber technology accounts for a lot of it and can be a very serious offense. One of the biggest opportunities for workplace deviance is the use of the employee’s personal device. This can include a laptop, iPhone, iPad, mobile phone, etc.., but all of these make it easier for employees to go against the rules provided by the company, steal information, and hurt the company they work for. New cyber technology allows a deviant employee to easily conceal their device and then when no one is looking plug it in to download information, take pictures of sensitive data, or transfer harmful software onto the system. It takes a matter of minutes for a deviant employee to hurt the company they work for because of how fast and easily accessible cyber technology is today. Plus, it can be hard to discern when an employee is acting in suspicious ways during the workday because “an average ICT employee may have many “windows” open on his or her desktop at the same time and may shift between them as part of regular, legitimate employment, as well as aspects of deviant behavior” (Andrea Hoplight Tapia). Not only is it hard to see suspicious behavior camouflaged throughout the day, but the workers hired in information technology, cybersecurity, and anything tech related are all knowledgeable about these risks and know how to avoid being caught. New devices, bringing in personal devices, different programs, and knowledgeable workers all contribute to an increased opportunity of workplace deviance. It is now up to companies and businesses to stay ahead of the game when it comes to harmful employees and the new technologies and strategies they could use to harm their company.

Works Cited

Tapia, Andrea. “Information Technology Enabled Employee Deviance.” https://faculty.ist.psu.edu/tapia/papers/016-Tapia%201%20.pdf.