*Result*: Hacker journeys: exploring paths in and out of illicit hacking through personal narratives.
*Further Information*
*The growing numbers of cybercrime, of which a huge proportion can be attributed to hacking, results in an increasing demand for IT security experts to protect organisations from cyber threats. Understanding the motivations behind hacking and the transition from illicit activities to legitimate roles like penetration testing is crucial. We conducted in-depth interviews with seven former hackers and used reflexive thematic analysis to explore their narratives of pathways into and out of illegal hacking behaviour. Our findings reveal that hacking often starts as a form of gamification, with offenders later rationalising their actions through victim-blaming and minimisation. Transitioning to legal roles appeared to involve forming significant social bonds and moving away from the gamified aspects of hacking in a process of de-gamification. All interviewees remained in the IT sector, using their skills legally, challenging traditional desistance theories and emphasising hacking's unique nature within criminological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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