Utilizing cyberplace managers to prevent and control cybercrimes: a vignette experimental study

Place management is central to Routine Activities Theory and proactive utilization of place managers is one of 25 Situational Crime Prevention techniques. Yet little is known about the effectiveness of using place managers to prevent cybercrimes. This paper uses a vignette experimental survey of 213 cybersecurity professionals to explore their perceptions of cybercrime prevention. We find that organizations that partner with and proactively utilize cybersecurity professionals as place managers are perceived as more effective in controlling cybercrimes than those organizations that do not specifically assign professionals to proactively prevent and control cybercrimes. We conclude that assigned cyberplace managers are more likely to use their cyber skills and knowledge than those who lack the time and space to utilize their cyber expertise.