SCHOOL THESIS

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704–0188
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1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED
June 2015
Master’s Thesis
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE
5. FUNDING NUMBERS
UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE: CAN BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS HELP
PREDICT WHO WILL COMMIT UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF
CLASSIFIED NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION?
6. AUTHOR(S) Karen Elizabeth Sims
7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, CA 93943-5000
9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
N/A
8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
REPORT NUMBER
10. SPONSORING/MONITORING
AGENCY REPORT NUMBER
11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy
or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. IRB protocol number ____N/A____.
12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited
13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words)
12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE
A
Federal government security-cleared personnel have been disclosing federal government classified national security
information, whether to a foreign government or the United States media, at an increasing rate since the 1980s. Can
common personal or psychological characteristics or motivations be identified from historical cases that could
indicate the likelihood of a current or potential federal employee to disclose national security information without
authorization? Reasons for unauthorized disclosure range from financial, to “whistle-blowing,” to a desire to change
international policy, to sympathy and strong ties with a foreign government. The focus of this research is on the
behavioral characteristics that are similar or different between known, studied historical cases of personnel associated
with the federal government who have disclosed classified information without authorization. Upon review of
existing data, the prevalent behavioral characteristic of the cases is one of a disgruntled employee (ideology/
disillusionment/loyalty). A disgruntled employee becomes the largest concern as an insider threat, one who is willing
to compromise his or her feelings of loyalty to the organization and the nation for a myriad of reasons.
14. SUBJECT TERMS
insider threat, unauthorized disclosure, classified national security information, behavioral indicators,
ideology, disillusionment, loyalty, intelligence community culture, Aldrich Ames, Robert Hansson,
Chelsea (Bradley) Manning, Edward Snowden, whistleblower, espionage, spy, patriot, traitor, Central
Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Department of Defense, financial gain, loyalty,
trustworthiness, character, reliability, security clearance, adjudicative guidelines, continuous
evaluation
17. SECURITY
CLASSIFICATION OF
REPORT
Unclassified
18. SECURITY
CLASSIFICATION OF THIS
PAGE
Unclassified
19. SECURITY
CLASSIFICATION OF
ABSTRACT
Unclassified
15. NUMBER OF
PAGES
153
16. PRICE CODE
20. LIMITATION OF
ABSTRACT
NSN 7540–01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2–89)
Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239–18
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