HUMAN ASPECTS OF THE CASE
Introduction to the Human Aspects of the Ashley Madison Breach
Ruby Life, Inc., the current owner of the Ashley Madison, describes the site as “the world’s most open-minded and discreet dating community.” The description continues: “Millions of members in more than 50 countries use Ashley Madison to find discreet relationships of all kinds. Ashley Madison is at the forefront of global conversations about modern relationships, dating, and sexuality.” While the description of the website does not necessarily specify that it was designed to facilitate communication for individuals seeking extra-marital relationships, the site is heavily regarded as such in the media. Of course, since the website uses the slogan, “life is short, have an affair,” it can be inferred that the media’s assertions about the purpose of the website is true. As such, infidelity will be the first behavior that will be analyzed (Ruby Life, 2019; Hackathorn, Daniels, Ashdown, & Rife, 2017).
The Users
Extramarital affairs, also referred to as infidelity, extradyadic relationships, or cheating is an activity that is largely met with negative reactions. One of the most important cultural norms in contemporary American society relating to committed relationships is the concept of sexual exclusiveness. There are seemingly countless social science research studies that analyze the causes and effects of extramarital affairs both socially and psychologically on all individuals involved and society as a whole. While there are a myriad of reasons without much consensus on why people in committed relationships cheat, we do know that online social media has made it much easier for individuals seeking extramarital affairs to find willing partners (Hackathorn, Daniels, Ashdown, & Rife, 2017; Chohaney & Panozzo, 2018).
The acknowledgement of the convenience of the internet for facilitating romantic and/or sexual relationships is a conclusion that researchers have been reporting for almost as long as the internet has been accessible to the general American public. In one study by Cooper, Delmonico, & Burg (2000), internet users were categorized by their sexual desires as “recreational,” “at-risk,” or “sexually compulsive.” Recreational users are drawn to online sexual material for entertainment purposes. So, in the case of Ashley Madison, they may visit the site “for fun” and browse through the profiles to satisfy a curiosity. At-risk users passively repress sexual compulsions in real life, but actively express them in “low risk” situations virtually on the Internet. Low risk refers to lower social and personal risks of others becoming aware of the sexual compulsions. At-risk activities might include viewing pornography or participating in erotic chat rooms while using a strictly online identity in order to remain anonymous. Sexual compulsives use the Internet as a tool to facilitate urges that might otherwise be difficult to fulfill. For example, individuals who would engage in real-life infidelity might use Ashley Madison to hasten or enhance their ability to find partners (Cooper, Delmonico, & Burg 2000).
We can assume that paid users of Ashley Madison are exploring infidelity. However, beyond the reason for using sites like Ashley Madison (to engage in infidelity), it is worthwhile to explore the choice of using a website to facilitate such an activity. Chohaney and Panozzo (2018), conducted a study using the leaked Ashley Madison data to conduct a geographic study to find possible determinates for likely hood of Ashley Madison subscriptions based on various U.S. markets. The results showed that the key reason individuals who seek to engage in infidelity use websites like Ashley Madison is to maintain anonymity. The users of sites like Ashley Madison do so because, of all the ways one might seek an extradyadic relationship, websites that guarantee the strongest security and claims the upmost privacy appear to present the lowest risk of the user’s spouse, significant other, or other individuals within the user’s life discovering the desire to engage (or evidence of having already engaged) in an extramarital affair (Chohaney & Panozzo, 2018).
The Hackers
The Impact Team, the person or group behind the ALM hack and data dump illegally obtained (and publicly posted) vast amounts of user data from the company’s websites and servers. Based on what we know about the motives behind the hack, the Impact Team appears to have been motivated by a disagreement with the company's business practices and apparent disdain for a website that facilitates extramarital affairs. The human aspect here is both information seeking, in that the hackers sought information related to the users of the site and the inner workings of the company, but it was also gain information that could be used as a means to an end. The desired outcome was to use the data as leverage to force ALM to shut their websites down – most notably Ashley Madison. Of course, ALM does not comply with the requests and that prompts IT to release the user information in a series of data dumps online (Cox, 2015).
A behavior worth analyzing with the activities of the hackers in the Ashley Madison case is “hacktivism.” The term hacktivism can be defined as the nonviolent, but not necessarily legal, use of digital tools like website defacements, information theft, website parodies, DoS attacks, virtual sit-ins, and/or virtual sabotage (Samuel, 2004). Generally speaking, hacktivists use the power of the internet to gain publicity and spread information about the cause(s) that they support. Hacktivism tends to be motivated by political concerns that are not exclusively online in nature (in this case, it would be the actual physical relationships that are formed as a result of using Ashley Madison). Hacktivists historically have claimed to only pursue communicative, not destructive, goals (Hampson, 2012). Of course, the leaders of ALM accused the Impact Team of being hackers engaged in criminal activity and not hacktivists fighting for a social cause. Of course, because the nature of hacktivism involve activities that may or may not be legal, hacktivists may be both cyber-criminals with the aim of illegally obtaining an organization’s customer data and be traditional hacktivists with a social agenda with the aim of disrupting day-to-day business and distributing a message – which appears to be the case with regard to the hackers behind the Ashley Madison Data Breach (Cox 2015; Krebs, 2015a; Krebs, 2015b)
The Data Miners
A final key behavior that can be observed related to the Ashley Madison data breach is the search to expand our knowledge about individuals who use websites like Ashley Madison to engage in relationships that violate cultural norms, but also to help us understand why individuals engage in extramarital relationships when there are high social consequences if the relationship is discovered. In several cases, these information seekers are often academics who seek to use the leaked data in a legitimate academic pursuit of knowledge. Chohaney and Panozzo (2018) used the leaked data to analyze a large population of individuals (N=702,309) who paid
to engage in extramarital affairs using Ashley Madison. The researchers aggregated the data into spatial units and measured the relationship between several theorized market determinants and Ashley Madison subscription and spending rates in major U.S. markets. Arfer and Jones (2017) analyzed the leaked data to determine if political-party affiliation and social characteristics affiliated with political parties is a predictor of usage of a website facilitating adultery. While one might question the ethical concerns with using data with so much personally identifiable information on so many people, each of these research studies discuss their procedures to ensure the privacy of the individuals and any PII that was obtained as a result of the research study would be kept confidential (Chohaney and Panozzo, 2018; Arfer and Jones, 2017).
Not all of the social research surrounding the Ashley Madison data breach sought to use the leaked data specifically, but other data collection methods, to pursue academic research. Hackathorn et al. (2017) used surveys to explore potential predictors for negative perceptions of Ashley Madison users. In another study, Harrison (2019) did not use the leaked data, but used information collected from four websites, including Ashley Madison, that are designed for people seeking extramarital intimacy. The goal of this study was to understand how the marketing and use of these websites is changing our cultural narrative related to infidelity (Hackathorn, Daniels, Ashdown, & Rife, 2017).
Ruby Life, Inc., the current owner of the Ashley Madison, describes the site as “the world’s most open-minded and discreet dating community.” The description continues: “Millions of members in more than 50 countries use Ashley Madison to find discreet relationships of all kinds. Ashley Madison is at the forefront of global conversations about modern relationships, dating, and sexuality.” While the description of the website does not necessarily specify that it was designed to facilitate communication for individuals seeking extra-marital relationships, the site is heavily regarded as such in the media. Of course, since the website uses the slogan, “life is short, have an affair,” it can be inferred that the media’s assertions about the purpose of the website is true. As such, infidelity will be the first behavior that will be analyzed (Ruby Life, 2019; Hackathorn, Daniels, Ashdown, & Rife, 2017).
The Users
Extramarital affairs, also referred to as infidelity, extradyadic relationships, or cheating is an activity that is largely met with negative reactions. One of the most important cultural norms in contemporary American society relating to committed relationships is the concept of sexual exclusiveness. There are seemingly countless social science research studies that analyze the causes and effects of extramarital affairs both socially and psychologically on all individuals involved and society as a whole. While there are a myriad of reasons without much consensus on why people in committed relationships cheat, we do know that online social media has made it much easier for individuals seeking extramarital affairs to find willing partners (Hackathorn, Daniels, Ashdown, & Rife, 2017; Chohaney & Panozzo, 2018).
The acknowledgement of the convenience of the internet for facilitating romantic and/or sexual relationships is a conclusion that researchers have been reporting for almost as long as the internet has been accessible to the general American public. In one study by Cooper, Delmonico, & Burg (2000), internet users were categorized by their sexual desires as “recreational,” “at-risk,” or “sexually compulsive.” Recreational users are drawn to online sexual material for entertainment purposes. So, in the case of Ashley Madison, they may visit the site “for fun” and browse through the profiles to satisfy a curiosity. At-risk users passively repress sexual compulsions in real life, but actively express them in “low risk” situations virtually on the Internet. Low risk refers to lower social and personal risks of others becoming aware of the sexual compulsions. At-risk activities might include viewing pornography or participating in erotic chat rooms while using a strictly online identity in order to remain anonymous. Sexual compulsives use the Internet as a tool to facilitate urges that might otherwise be difficult to fulfill. For example, individuals who would engage in real-life infidelity might use Ashley Madison to hasten or enhance their ability to find partners (Cooper, Delmonico, & Burg 2000).
We can assume that paid users of Ashley Madison are exploring infidelity. However, beyond the reason for using sites like Ashley Madison (to engage in infidelity), it is worthwhile to explore the choice of using a website to facilitate such an activity. Chohaney and Panozzo (2018), conducted a study using the leaked Ashley Madison data to conduct a geographic study to find possible determinates for likely hood of Ashley Madison subscriptions based on various U.S. markets. The results showed that the key reason individuals who seek to engage in infidelity use websites like Ashley Madison is to maintain anonymity. The users of sites like Ashley Madison do so because, of all the ways one might seek an extradyadic relationship, websites that guarantee the strongest security and claims the upmost privacy appear to present the lowest risk of the user’s spouse, significant other, or other individuals within the user’s life discovering the desire to engage (or evidence of having already engaged) in an extramarital affair (Chohaney & Panozzo, 2018).
The Hackers
The Impact Team, the person or group behind the ALM hack and data dump illegally obtained (and publicly posted) vast amounts of user data from the company’s websites and servers. Based on what we know about the motives behind the hack, the Impact Team appears to have been motivated by a disagreement with the company's business practices and apparent disdain for a website that facilitates extramarital affairs. The human aspect here is both information seeking, in that the hackers sought information related to the users of the site and the inner workings of the company, but it was also gain information that could be used as a means to an end. The desired outcome was to use the data as leverage to force ALM to shut their websites down – most notably Ashley Madison. Of course, ALM does not comply with the requests and that prompts IT to release the user information in a series of data dumps online (Cox, 2015).
A behavior worth analyzing with the activities of the hackers in the Ashley Madison case is “hacktivism.” The term hacktivism can be defined as the nonviolent, but not necessarily legal, use of digital tools like website defacements, information theft, website parodies, DoS attacks, virtual sit-ins, and/or virtual sabotage (Samuel, 2004). Generally speaking, hacktivists use the power of the internet to gain publicity and spread information about the cause(s) that they support. Hacktivism tends to be motivated by political concerns that are not exclusively online in nature (in this case, it would be the actual physical relationships that are formed as a result of using Ashley Madison). Hacktivists historically have claimed to only pursue communicative, not destructive, goals (Hampson, 2012). Of course, the leaders of ALM accused the Impact Team of being hackers engaged in criminal activity and not hacktivists fighting for a social cause. Of course, because the nature of hacktivism involve activities that may or may not be legal, hacktivists may be both cyber-criminals with the aim of illegally obtaining an organization’s customer data and be traditional hacktivists with a social agenda with the aim of disrupting day-to-day business and distributing a message – which appears to be the case with regard to the hackers behind the Ashley Madison Data Breach (Cox 2015; Krebs, 2015a; Krebs, 2015b)
The Data Miners
A final key behavior that can be observed related to the Ashley Madison data breach is the search to expand our knowledge about individuals who use websites like Ashley Madison to engage in relationships that violate cultural norms, but also to help us understand why individuals engage in extramarital relationships when there are high social consequences if the relationship is discovered. In several cases, these information seekers are often academics who seek to use the leaked data in a legitimate academic pursuit of knowledge. Chohaney and Panozzo (2018) used the leaked data to analyze a large population of individuals (N=702,309) who paid
to engage in extramarital affairs using Ashley Madison. The researchers aggregated the data into spatial units and measured the relationship between several theorized market determinants and Ashley Madison subscription and spending rates in major U.S. markets. Arfer and Jones (2017) analyzed the leaked data to determine if political-party affiliation and social characteristics affiliated with political parties is a predictor of usage of a website facilitating adultery. While one might question the ethical concerns with using data with so much personally identifiable information on so many people, each of these research studies discuss their procedures to ensure the privacy of the individuals and any PII that was obtained as a result of the research study would be kept confidential (Chohaney and Panozzo, 2018; Arfer and Jones, 2017).
Not all of the social research surrounding the Ashley Madison data breach sought to use the leaked data specifically, but other data collection methods, to pursue academic research. Hackathorn et al. (2017) used surveys to explore potential predictors for negative perceptions of Ashley Madison users. In another study, Harrison (2019) did not use the leaked data, but used information collected from four websites, including Ashley Madison, that are designed for people seeking extramarital intimacy. The goal of this study was to understand how the marketing and use of these websites is changing our cultural narrative related to infidelity (Hackathorn, Daniels, Ashdown, & Rife, 2017).
