Liu, MichelleAlanazi, Haifa2024-01-112024-01-112023-12https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14154/71158This dissertation explores the critical issue of insider cybersecurity risks in the context of the oil and gas industry. The paper explores many facets of this phenomena, focusing on the factors that drive the personality traits, possibilities, and capabilities of these insiders as the industry faces an increasing threat from hostile insiders. This study's main goal is to provide a thorough examination of insider threats in the oil and gas industry with a focus on comprehending the underlying motivations and behavioral indications. The author aims to offer insightful information that can improve the cybersecurity practices used by the sector. The lack of focus on insider threats in the oil and gas industry is one obvious gap in the current body of literature. While external cybersecurity threats have been the subject of substantial research, insider threats are still largely unexplored. The dissertation examines the area of insider cybersecurity threats in the oil and gas industry by delving into four key research areas. These inquiries include a look at the motives that drive nefarious insiders within the industry, a look at how personality traits affect insider threats, a look at the circumstances that make it possible for such threats to happen, and a look at how insiders' skills affect the industry's overall cybersecurity risks. A quantitative approach was used to study these issues, and 95 oil and gas sector participants were polled. The questionnaires used a Likert scale. With the aid of the proper statistical software, descriptive and regression analysis of the data were performed. The results emphasize the critical part that motivations, personality, opportunity, and capabilities play in determining malevolent insider behavior. Notably, motives—such as unintended mistakes—were discovered to be important contributors to insider threats. According to the research, effective cybersecurity must include preventative measures, personnel training, and ongoing security assessments. This thesis offers the oil and gas sector insights to strengthen its cybersecurity defenses against insider threats, which has practical ramifications. It highlights the need for systematic preventive actions, an interdisciplinary strategy, and increased employee awareness to reduce the hazards brought on by hostile insiders. Additionally, it emphasizes how cybersecurity tactics are constantly altering in response to the shifting insider threat picture within the industry.201en-USinsider threatscybersecurityoil and gas Industrymotivesbehavioral indicatorsThesis