Cybercrime victims : a digital trace data analysis of ransomware attacks on organizations

Ransomware incidents represent one of the most severe threats to organizations, with consequences that extend far beyond technical disruption and financial damage. This thesis aims to investigate the human side of ransomware, focusing on the emotional, psychological, and organizational impact on those directly involved in incident response and recovery. Thus, we analyzed naturally occurring discussions on Reddit, drawing from 1,526 comments posted in r/cybersecurity and r/sysadmin. A topic modeling approach using BERTopic was applied to identify recurring themes across the dataset, and the Gioia methodology was then used to structure these themes into a comprehensive framework. The analysis reveals six aggregate dimensions: Community Bonding & Collective Coping, Emotional Impact, Management & Communication, Sharing Experience of Client Companies, Technical Security Aspects, and External Involvement. These capture the multifaceted nature of ransomware experiences. Findings highlight lasting psychological consequences such as anxiety, hypervigilance, and panic attacks; maladaptive and constructive coping mechanisms; the central role of management behavior and organizational culture; and the significance of external actors including insurers and legal advisors. By uncovering authentic, naturally occurring reflections, this study extends prior research that has largely relied on case studies and surveys. The results contribute to academic understanding of cyber incidents and offer practical implications for integrating psychological support, communication practices, and resilience-building measures into incident response strategies.