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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 11:48 pm
Time: 11:48 pm
Results for computer crimes
133 results foundAuthor: Spielhofer, Thomas Title: Children's Online Risks and Safety: A Review of the Available Evidence. Summary: This review presents findings from a mapping study on topics related to the online risks to children. The main topics investigated include: evidence on access and use of the internet by children in the UK; evidence on the characteristics of children accessing the internet; evidence on the online risks for children and young people; and evidence on attempts at safeguarding children's online experiences. Details: Upton Park, UK: National Education for Education Research, 2010. 36p. Source: Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 118078 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Safety |
Author: Queensland. Crime and Misconduct Commission Title: Organised Fraud in Queensland: A Strategic Assessment Summary: This 2009 fraud assessment report focuses on major organized crime groups and their use of fraud both as a means to earn money and as a facilitator of further criminal enterprise. Although many fraud offenses are opportunistic and carried out by individuals or groups, this assessment focuses on fraud committed by organized criminal networks against persons, businesses and companies; it does not extend to corporate sector fraud. This summary provides an overview of current and emerging issues relating online, credit card, identity and check fraud. Details: Brisbane: Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2009. 27p. Source: Internet Resource; Crime Bulletin, No. 10 Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 118831 Keywords: Computer CrimesEconomic CrimesFraud (Australia)Identity TheftOrganized Crime (Australia) |
Author: Australia. Parliament. House of Representatives. Standing Committee on Communications Title: Hackers, Fraudsters and Botnets: Tackling the Problem of Cyber Crime. The Report of the Inquiry into Cyber Crime Summary: This report asserts that Australian home computer users and small businesses have been left to fend for themselves against the growing problem of organized cyber crime. The committee makes 34 recommendations aimed at improving Australia's response to the growth of cyber crime, and further recommends that an Office of Online Security be established to coordinate cyber crime policy across the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, and foster partnerships with industry and the community. Details: Canberra: Australian Parliament, 2010. 260p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 119160 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeIdentity TheftInternet SafetyOrganized Crime |
Author: Byron, Tanya Title: Safer Children in a Digital World: The Report of the Byron Review Summary: - The internet and video games are very popular with children and young people and offer a range of opportunities for fun, learning and development. - But there are concerns over potentially inappropriate material, which range from content (e.g. violence) through to contact and conduct of children in the digital world. - Debates and research in this area can be highly polarised and charged with emotion. - Having considered the evidence I believe we need to move from a discussion about the media 'causing' harm to one which focuses on children and young people, what they bring to technology and how we can use our understanding of how they develop to empower them to manage risks and make the digital world safer. - There is a generational digital divide which means that parents do not necessarily feel equipped to help their children in this space - which can lead to fear and a sense of helplessness. This can be compounded by a risk-averse culture where we are inclined to keep our children 'indoors' despite their developmental needs to socialise and take risks. - While children are confident with the technology, they are still developing critical evaluation skills and need our help to make wise decisions. - In relation to the internet we need a shared culture of responsibility with families, industry, government and others in the public and third sectors all playing their part to reduce the availability of potentially harmful material, restrict access to it by children and to increase children's resilience. - I propose that we seek to achieve gains in these three areas by having a national strategy for child internet safety which involves better self-regulation and better provision of information and education for children and families. - In relation to video games, we need to improve on the systems already in place to help parents restrict children's access to games which are not suitable for their age. - I propose that we seek to do that by reforming the classification system and pooling the efforts of the games industry, retailers, advertisers, console manufacturers and online gaming providers to raise awareness of what is in games and enable better enforcement. - Children and young people need to be empowered to keep themselves safe - this isn't just about a top-down approach. Children will be children - pushing boundaries and taking risks. At a public swimming pool we have gates, put up signs, have lifeguards and shallow ends, but we also teach children how to swim. Details: Nottingham, UK: Department of Children, Schools and Families; Department of Culture, Media and Sport, 2008. 224p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2018 at: http://childcentre.info/robert/extensions/robert/doc/6f4474a71e4794a8c119a0c8fb8ab8ef.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: Safer Children in a Digital World: The Report of the Byron Review Shelf Number: 115676 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GamingVideo Games |
Author: Byron, Tanya Title: Do We Have Safer Children in a Digital World? A Review of Progress Since the 2008 Byron Review Summary: 1. In the last two years there has been significant progress on improving children's digital safety which I am pleased to highlight in this report. As the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) enters the next phase of its work, I think it is a good time to take stock of progress so far and consider priorities. I hope this report will help UKCCIS to build on its successes, as in the fast-paced digital world the UK and UKCCIS will need to speed up to stay ahead as the world leader in child digital safety. 2. In the first phase of this work I have been impressed by the public awareness campaign which I think gives clear and concise messages to help parents educate their children. 3. I have also been struck by the improvements to educational resources which are enabling our children and young people to develop the resilience and skills they need to negotiate their digital lives. These skills will in turn help them to educate their children, as today's children are tomorrow's parents. 4. The UK is a world leader in improving children's digital safety. The establishment of UKCCIS is a significant achievement, bringing together a range of influential organisations with an interest in, or a responsibility for, keeping children and young people safe on the internet. The council is to be congratulated on publishing the first UK child internet safety strategy in December 2009. 5. In preparing this report, I have gathered evidence through talking to UKCCIS executive board members, children and young people, parents, wider stakeholders and a survey of 148 members of UKCCIS. 6. The recommendations in this report are intended to support the recommendations in my 2008 review and the ongoing work of UKCCIS. I planned for my 2008 recommendations to be delivered over a five-year timescale, so I would not expect them all to have been completed by now. For this reason this report does not deliver a recommendation by recommendation audit of my 2008 review. Details: Annesley, UK: Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 224, 2018 at: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/709/7/do%20we%20have%20safer%20children%20in%20a%20digital%20world-WEB_Redacted.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/709/7/do%20we%20have%20safer%20children%20in%20a%20digital%20world-WEB_Redacted.pdf Shelf Number: 119455 Keywords: Child WelfareComputer CrimesInternetInternet SafetyVideo Games |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice Title: The National Strategy for Child Prevention and Interdiction: A Report to Congress Summary: "The sexual abuse and exploitation of children rob the victims of their childhood, irrevocably interfering with their emotional and psychological development. Ensuring that all children come of age without being disturbed by sexual trauma or exploitation is more than a criminal justice issue, it is a societal issue. Despite efforts to date, the threat of child sexual exploitation remains very real, whether it takes place in the home, on the street, over the Internet, or in a foreign land. Because the sexual abuse and exploitation of children strikes at the very foundation of our society, it will take our entire society to combat this affront to the public welfare. Therefore, this National Strategy lays out a comprehensive response to protect the right of children to be free from sexual abuse and to protect society from the cost imposed by this crime. In the broadest terms, the goal of this National Strategy is to prevent child sexual exploitation from occurring in the first place, in order to protect every child’s opportunity and right to have a childhood that is free from sexual abuse, trauma, and exploitation so that they can become the adults they were meant to be. This Strategy will accomplish that goal by efficiently leveraging assets across the federal government in a coordinated manner. All entities with a stake in the fight against child exploitation—from federal agencies and investigators and prosecutors, to social service providers, educators, medical professionals, academics, non-governmental organizations, and members of industry, as well as parents, caregivers, and the threatened children themselves—are called upon to do their part to prevent these crimes, care for the victims, and rehabilitate the offenders." Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2010. 280p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 10, 2010 at http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/docs/natstrategyreport.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/docs/natstrategyreport.pdf Shelf Number: 119589 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProstitutionChild ProtectionChild Sex TourismChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet Safety |
Author: Knake, Robert K. Title: Internet Governance in an Age of Cyber Insecurity Summary: This report briefly examines the technological decisions that have enabled both the Internet’s spectacular success and its troubling vulnerability to attack. Arguing that the United States can no longer cede the initiative on cyber issues to countries that do not share its interests, it outlines an agenda that the United States can pursue in concert with its allies on the international stage. Details: Washington, DC: Council on Foreign Relations, 2010. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Council Special Report No. 56: Accessed September 6, 2010 at: http://www.cfr.org/publication/22832/internet_governance_in_an_age_of_cyber_insecurity.html Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.cfr.org/publication/22832/internet_governance_in_an_age_of_cyber_insecurity.html Shelf Number: 119746 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyber SecurityCybercrimeCyberterrorismInternet Crimes |
Author: Willison, Robert Title: Overcoming the Insider: Reducing Employee Computer Crime Through Situational Crime Prevention Summary: Employee computer crime represents a substantial threat for organisations. Yet information security researchers and practitioners currently lack a clear understanding of how these crimes are perpetrated, which, as a consequence, hinders security efforts. We argue that recent developments in criminology can assist in addressing the insider threat. More specifically, we demonstrate how an approach, entitled Situational Crime Prevention, can not only enhance an understanding of employee computer crime, but also strengthen security practices which are designed to address this problem. Details: Frederiksberg, Denmark: Copenhagen Business School, Department of Informatics, 2006. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. 11: Accessed September 13, 2010 at: http://openarchive.cbs.dk/bitstream/handle/10398/6456/11_2006.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2006 Country: International URL: http://openarchive.cbs.dk/bitstream/handle/10398/6456/11_2006.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 119786 Keywords: Computer CrimesSituational Crime PreventionWorkplace Crime |
Author: U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General Title: DHS Needs to Improve the Security Posture of Its Cybersecurity Program Systems Summary: Cyber threats pose a significant risk to economic and national security. In response to these threats, the President, legislators, experts, and others have characterized cybersecurity, or measures taken to protect a computer or computer system against unauthorized access or attack, as a pressing national security issue. The National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) was established to serve as the national focal point for addressing cybersecurity issues in the public and private sectors. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), created under NCSD, is responsible for compiling and analyzing information about cybersecurity incidents and providing timely technical assistance to operators of agency information systems regarding security incidents. The team provides response support and defense against cyber attacks for the federal civil executive branch; disseminates reasoned and actionable cybersecurity information to the public; and facilitates information sharing with state and local government, industry, and international partners. This audit focused on the security of the systems that US-CERT uses to accomplish its cybersecurity mission. Overall, NCSD has implemented adequate physical security and logical access controls over the cybersecurity program systems used to collect, process, and disseminate cyber threat and warning information to the public and private sectors. However, a significant effort is needed to address existing security issues in order to implement a robust program that will enhance the cybersecurity posture of the federal government. To ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of its cybersecurity information, NCSD needs to focus on deploying timely system security patches to mitigate risks to its cybersecurity program systems, finalizing system security documentation, and ensuring adherence to departmental security policies and procedures. The report makes 10 recommendations to the Director, NCSD. NCSD has already begun to take the actions to implement them. National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD)’s response is summarized and evaluated in the body of this report and included, in its entirety, as Appendix B. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2010. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2010 at: http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/OIG_10-111_Aug10.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/OIG_10-111_Aug10.pdf Shelf Number: 119796 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimesCybersecurityHomeland Security |
Author: Bajaj, Kamlesh Title: The Cybersecurity Agenda: Mobilizing for International Action Summary: Cyberspace comprises IT networks, computer resources, and all the fixed and mobile devices connected to the global Internet. A nation’s cyberspace is part of the global cyberspace; it cannot be isolated to define its boundaries since cyberspace is borderless. This is what makes cyberspace unique. Unlike the physical world that is limited by geographical boundaries in space—land, sea, river waters, and air—cyberspace can and is continuing to expand. Increased Internet penetration is leading to growth of cyberspace, since its size is proportional to the activities that are carried through it. Cyberspace merges seamlessly with the physical world. So do cyber crimes. Cyber attackers can disrupt critical infrastructures such as financial and air traffic control systems, producing effects that are similar to terrorist attacks in the physical space They can also carry out identity theft and financial fraud; steal corporate information such as intellectual property; conduct espionage to steal state and military secrets; and recruit criminals and others to carry out physical terrorist activities. Anyone can exploit vulnerabilities in any system connected to the Internet and attack it from anywhere in the world without being identified. As the Internet and new technologies grow, so do their vulnerabilities. Knowledge about these vulnerabilities and how to exploit them are widely available on the Internet. During the development of the global digital Internet and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, the key considerations were interoperability and efficiency, not security. The explosion of mobile devices continues to be based on these insecure systems of Internet protocols. It is increasingly cheap to launch cyber attacks, but security systems are getting more and more expensive. This growing asymmetry is a game changer. It has another dimension, too—individuals, terrorists, criminal gangs, or smaller nations can take on much bigger powers in cyberspace, and through it, in the physical world, as well. The effects of attacks on critical infrastructure such as electricity and water supplies are similar to those that would be caused by weapons of mass destruction, without the need for any physical attacks. Proving attribution in cyberspace is a great challenge. In most cases, it is extremely difficult to attribute cyber attacks to nation-states, collecting irrefutable evidence. The very nature of botnets and zombies makes it difficult to do so, leading to the conclusion that “the Internet is the perfect platform for plausible deniability.” Nations are developing cyber attack capabilities with a view to dominating cyberspace. However, unilateral dominance in cyberspace is not achievable by any country. But uncontrolled growth of cyber attack capabilities—in effect, cyber attack proliferation — is an increasingly troubling phenomenon. Yet another disturbing reality is that cyber attacks can be launched ever more easily, and propagated faster using the same broadband that nations are building for global e-commerce. Finally, the consequences of a cyber attack are more likely to be indirect and more uncertain than most scenarios currently envision; we may not always recognize the damage inflicted by cyber attackers. Cybersecurity is a global problem that has to be addressed globally by all governments jointly. No government can fight cybercrime or secure its cyberspace in isolation. Cybersecurity is not a technology problem that can be ‘solved’; it is a risk to be managed by a combination of defensive technology, astute analysis and information warfare, and traditional diplomacy. Cyber attacks constitute an instrument of national policy at the nexus of technology, policy, law, ethics, and national security. Such attacks should spur debate and discussion, without any secrecy, both inside and outside governments at national and international levels. This is all the more so because of the growing number of significant actors not tied to, or even loosely affiliated with, nation-states. Over the last few months, events in cyberspace such as the GhostNet attacks on governments and large multinational corporations, whether to steal intellectual property or attack free speech, bear this out. They are not restricted by geographical borders or national laws. There is an added dimension to this problem: the infrastructures are owned and operated by the private sector, and cyberspace passes through various legal jurisdictions all over the world. Each government has to engage in supporting its private sector for cybersecurity through effective public-private partnership (PPP) models, with clearly-defined roles for government and industry. Because cyberspace is relatively new, legal concepts for ‘standards of care’ do not exist. Should governments create incentives to generate collective action? For example, they could reduce liability in exchange for improved security, or introduce tax incentives, new regulatory requirements, and compliance mechanisms. Nations have to take appropriate steps in their respective jurisdictions to create necessary laws, promote the implementation of reasonable security practices, incident management, and information sharing mechanisms, and continuously educate both corporate and home users about cybersecurity. International cooperation is essential to securing cyberspace. When it comes to tracking cyber criminals, it is not only the laws dealing with cyber crimes that must exist in various countries, but the collection of appropriate cyber forensics data in various jurisdictions and their presentation in courts of law, which are essential to bring criminals to justice in sovereign countries. Details: Washington, DC: EastWest Institute, 2010. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2010 at: http://www.ewi.info/system/files/Bajaj_Web.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.ewi.info/system/files/Bajaj_Web.pdf Shelf Number: 119942 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeCybersecurityInternet Crimes |
Author: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Title: Identity Theft: Trends, Patterns, and Typologies Reported in Suspicious Activitiy Report Filed by Depository Institute January 1, 2003 - December 31, 2009 Summary: Identity theft was the sixth most frequently reported characterization of suspicious activity within the period of the study, behind structuring/money laundering, check fraud, mortgage loan fraud, credit card fraud, and counterfeit check fraud. Based upon analysis of the study sample, the number of identity theft-related depository institution SAR filings submitted during calendar year (CY) 2009 was 123 percent higher than the number reported in CY 2004. This compares with an 89 percent increase in the numbers of all depository institution SAR filings made in CY 2004 versus CY 2009.6 Over 86 percent of sample depository institution SAR filings bearing either the identity theft suspicious activity characterization or identity theft-associated keywords in their narratives actually described identity theft. Most of the remainder of the filings described identity fraud or provided insufficient information to confirm identity theft. Credit card fraud was the most frequently co-reported suspicious activity characterization with identity theft, appearing in over 45.5 percent of sample filings. In about 30 percent of these filings reporting the successful takeover of an existing credit card account, and 17 percent reporting the successful unauthorized set up of a new credit card account, the alleged identity thief added his/her name to the account as an authorized user. Several types of loan accounts were reportedly abused in 31 percent of filings. In 56.5 percent of filings specifically reporting student loan fraud, subjects included both their name and the victim’s name on the loan application as either the borrower or co-signer. Analysis of the sample indicated that filers reporting auto loan fraud facilitated by identity theft were successful in identifying these loans as fraudulent prior to funding in 49.5 percent of filings. Similarly, filers reporting student loan fraud facilitated by identity theft identified the loans as fraudulent prior to funding in 54.5 percent of filings. Nearly 27.5 percent of sample identity theft SAR narratives reported that the identity theft victim knew the suspected thief, who was usually a family member, friend, acquaintance, or an employee working in the victim’s home. Computer-assisted identity theft was described in 4 percent of filings. Fraud rings that employ identity theft to further their illicit activities were reported in 3.5 percent of filings overall, with the year-to-year trend line strongly up in every period except 2005-2006. Victims reportedly discovered identity theft through review of their own account activity in about 28 percent of filings in the sample. Filers credited routine financial institution account monitoring with uncovering identity theft in nearly another 21 percent of sample filings, and checks of commercial databases at account set-up in 14.5 percent of sample filings. Credit reports, law enforcement investigations, collection agencies, and credit monitoring services were responsible for revealing identity theft in a decreasing percentage of sample filings. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, 2010. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 25, 2010 at: http://www.fincen.gov/news_room/rp/reports/pdf/ID%20Theft.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.fincen.gov/news_room/rp/reports/pdf/ID%20Theft.pdf Shelf Number: 120071 Keywords: Computer CrimesCredit Card FraudFraudIdentity Theft |
Author: Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond Title: Cloud Computing: Challenges and Future Directions Summary: Cloud computing can be defined as a pool of virtualised computing resources that allows users to gain access to applications and data in a web-based environment on demand. This paper explains the various cloud architecture and usage models that exist and some of the benefits in using cloud services. It seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the emerging threat landscape created by cloud computing, with a view to identifying avenues for risk reduction. Three avenues for action are identified, in particular, the need for a culture of cyber security to be created through the development of effective public-private partnerships; the need for Australia’s privacy regime to be reformed to deal with the issues created by cloud computing and the need for cyber-security researchers to find ways in which to mitigate existing and new security risks in the cloud computing environment. Cloud computing is now firmly established in the information technology landscape and its security risks need to be mapped and addressed at this critical stage in its development. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2010. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 400: Accessed October 26, 2010 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/C/4/D/%7BC4D887F9-7D3B-4CFE-9D88-567C01AB8CA0%7Dtandi400.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/C/4/D/%7BC4D887F9-7D3B-4CFE-9D88-567C01AB8CA0%7Dtandi400.pdf Shelf Number: 120097 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer SecurityCybercrime |
Author: Warren, Ian Title: Crime Risks of Three-Dimensional Virtual Environments Summary: Three-dimensional virtual environments (3dves) are the new generation of digital multi-user social networking platforms. Their immersive character allows users to create a digital humanised representation or avatar, enabling a degree of virtual interaction not possible through conventional text-based internet technologies. As recent international experience demonstrates, in addition to the conventional range of cybercrimes (including economic fraud, the dissemination of child pornography and copyright violations), the 'virtual-reality' promoted by 3dves is the source of great speculation and concern over a range of specific and emerging forms of crime and harm to users. This paper provides some examples of the types of harm currently emerging in 3dves and suggests internal regulation by user groups, terms of service, or end-user licensing agreements, possibly linked to real-world criminological principles. This paper also provides some directions for future research aimed at understanding the role of Australian criminal law and the justice system more broadly in this emerging field. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2010. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 388: Accessed November 3, 2010 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/D/5/2/%7BD5233F02-F880-4EF1-BDC6-29B436DB1B19%7Dtandi388.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/D/5/2/%7BD5233F02-F880-4EF1-BDC6-29B436DB1B19%7Dtandi388.pdf Shelf Number: 120174 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimesInternet |
Author: Prentky, Robert Title: A Multi-Prong Approach to Strengthening Internet Child Safety Summary: The Internet is a highly effective vehicle for engaging in a range of sexual crimes, including possession of and trafficking in child pornography, identifying, locating and grooming potential victims; sex-related entrepreneurial crime; and the dissemination of misogynistic material. It would be naïve to assume the Internet has only been used for offense-related purposes by those who have been caught and convicted of Internet-related crimes. It is reasonable to assume the “web” of actual or would-be offenders is substantially greater than the known offenders. Metaphorically, it is an “iceberg” problem, with many hands-on offenders and risk-prone individuals falling below the surface. As part of this three-year project, awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to Justice Resource Institute, Boston College, Villanova University, and Fairleigh Dickinson University, we attempted to address this highly complex, multifaceted problem with a “multi-pronged” approach. To begin, we created an interdisciplinary Working Group comprised of seasoned professionals covering a range of perspectives about online child sexual victimization. The Working Group initially assisted in providing us with cases to help create and refine an Internet Offender Assessment dictionary, which later led to the development of self-report questionnaires used in data collection. The Working Group convened three times over the course of three years to discuss and brainstorm pertinent issues related to online child sexual victimization. This research project used a three-prong approach: The first prong elicited information from middle school and high school students regarding their Internet knowledge and practices, incidence of risk-taking behaviors while online, and experiences of being solicited or engaging in inappropriate sexual activity via a request from a person first met online. This task was aimed at improving Internet safety programs by better understanding how some children are victimized by Internet Sex Offenders while others are not. The results from this prong will inform and, it is hoped, improve Internet safety programs for school systems We added a large, diverse sample of college students drawn from across the county. We administered a selfreport questionnaire surveying their Internet use, experiences, and knowledge, as well as their exposure to pornographic images. This group of young adults is unique in that it is the first generation to have grown up with widely and readily available access to the Internet. We looked at age-related exposure to Internet pornography and a wide range of “content” of pornography and compared student’s reports to reports by the offender groups. The second prong targeted known offenders. Informing primary prevention and secondary intervention programs requires a much better understanding of the complexity of Internet Sex Offenders, their backgrounds, their criminal offenses, and the motives of Internet Sex Offenders. The objective was to help reduce victimization by identifying risk-relevant characteristics of Internet Sex Offenders, creating more effective safety programs based on the knowledge gleaned from offenders, and adding to the existing literature by differentiating among Internet Sex Offenders in an empirically informed way. To accomplish this we included, in addition to a sample of Internet-only Sex Offenders, a group of known hands-on sex offenders with no known Internet offenses, and a third group consisting of known hands-on sexual offenders with Internet sex offenses. The third prong of this project was intended to more fully understand the role, limitations, and importance of technology. Technology is not only important to law enforcement for apprehending offenders, but also critical in reducing victimization. We assembled a dataset to explore the feasibility of identifying “cyber DNA,” unique (signature) elements revealed in communications between adults and children and/or offenders and undercover law enforcement. The intent of such computer-forensic markers is to detect distinctive patterns distinguishing one offender from another or place an offender within a subset of offenders. The concern expressed by parents/guardians about offensive photographs currently available to children online warranted additional research to examine the effectiveness of filters (commercial programs designed to prevent unwanted materials from being viewed or downloaded). Thus, one of our third-prong-related tasks was a comparison of all widely used filters. By understanding the boundaries of technological sophistication among diverse samples, we can more effectively employ different types of filters. Details: Boston: Justice Resource Institute, 2010. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 28, 2011 at: http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/documents/law-enforcement-bulletin-4.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/documents/law-enforcement-bulletin-4.pdf Shelf Number: 120884 Keywords: Children, Crimes AgainstComputer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetySex Offenders |
Author: Denning, Caroline Title: Internet Sweepstakes Cafes: A Survey of Law Enforcement Perceptions Summary: Gambling in the United States operates within a relatively strict framework of government regulation. Traditionally, these restrictions have applied primarily to brick and mortar gambling establishments, but according to Freese (2005) and Franklin (2001) the evolution of the Internet and technology has not only made gambling more accessible but also has provided a loophole for those involved in the gaming and video industry to elude government regulation. The U.S. Department of Justice has maintained under the 1961 Wire Act that Internet gambling is illegal in the United States (Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute, 2010). Still, Internet gambling persists and has produced great concern among state and local law enforcement who have sought to prohibit and regulate these activities and operations. Despite the federal government’s willingness to prohibit and prosecute Internet gambling cases and operations, the continued prevalence of these activities demands exploration to provide clarification as how state and local law enforcement agencies should deal with the proliferation of recent gambling enterprises, known as Internet sweepstakes cafés, surfacing around the country which are posing challenges to current state gambling laws. As fairly recent developments, current definitions of gambling as presented through federal and state statutes do not adequately address these operations, presenting enforcement and prosecution challenges to many state officials and law enforcement. This report seeks to examine current federal and North Carolina state gambling laws as applied to Internet sweepstakes cafés and present the findings of a statewide survey of sheriffs and local police chiefs regarding their perceptions, attitudes and beliefs surrounding the proliferation of Internet cafés and sweepstakes operations. Additionally, the survey sought to gather data regarding the amount of reported and perceived criminal activity and nuisance complaints associated with these business types. Opinions were also sought regarding barriers to effective regulation and viewpoints on proposed legislation were solicited in an effort to portray how the state’s law enforcement executives perceive and respond to Internet sweepstakes cafés. Details: Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Criminal Justice Analysis Center, Governor's Crime Commission, 2010. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 8, 2011 at: http://www.ncgccd.org/pdfs/internet_cafe.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncgccd.org/pdfs/internet_cafe.pdf Shelf Number: 120891 Keywords: Computer CrimesGambling (North Carolina)Internet Crimes |
Author: Blackburn, John Title: Optimising Australia's Response to the Cyber Challenge Summary: The Australian Government’s 2009 Cyber Security Strategy states that cyber security is one of Australia’s top-tier national security priorities. It highlights that Australia’s national security, economic prosperity and social wellbeing are critically dependent upon the availability, integrity and confidentiality of a range of information and communications technologies. There is a growing threat from state and non-state actors who compromise, steal, change or destroy information and information systems upon which societies depend. This report examines the nature of the cyber challenge confronting Australia and how such a threat can be better addressed. Australia may well have reached a “tipping point” where the current trajectory of cyber responses is being rapidly outpaced by the evolving threat. In seeking to maintain a secure, resilient and trusted electronic operating environment that supports Australia’s national security and maximises the benefits of the digital economy, the Australian Government has defined cyber security as “Measures relating to the confidentiality, availability and integrity of information that is processed, stored and communicated by electronic or similar means”. The government’s strategy is well thought out and clearly identifies key near-term initiatives that address the cyber security threat. However, the breadth, scale and growth rate of the threat are such that the current cyber security program is not keeping pace. In fact, the actions taken to date have helped highlight the scale of the problem and underscored that more needs to be done in order to address the challenge. A complicating issue is that of public awareness. A large part of the Australian population does not comprehend the scale of the growing cyber threat, nor the potential impact of that threat on personal and national wellbeing. That lack of understanding, and therefore commitment to addressing the threat, is a fundamental weakness in the individual and collective security of Australians. This report seeks to answer two fundamental questions: are we doing enough to address the growing threat to our national and individual security in the cyber environment, and if not, what do we need to do? The report concludes that whilst progress in implementing the government’s 2009 Cyber Security Strategy has been laudable, we are not keeping pace with the growing threat and as a result are placing our collective and individual security at risk. What is lacking is a whole-of-nation, government-led integrated long-term National Cyber Strategy and Plan with defined responsibilities, identified priorities and dedicated resources that recognises the scale of the cyber challenge and the need to address that challenge in a more comprehensive manner. Australia needs to further harmonise the roles and responsibilities of government, industry and the public. While there will be technical challenges in meeting the evolving threat, the greatest challenges will centre on the cultural and organisational changes that will be needed to improve Australia’s security in the cyber environment. Specific conclusions and recommendations include: • Develop a whole-of-nation, government-led integrated long-term National Cyber Strategy and Cyber Capability Plan (as a subset of the National Security Strategy) with defined responsibilities, identified priorities and dedicated resources. • Assign the lead to coordinate cyber-related security issues across government to the Office of the National Security Adviser. • Continue to build on the current cyber programs but with some process and structural change to ensure the cyber threat is understood and cyber vulnerabilities are reduced, a credible counter-attack capability is developed, continuous technology discovery is pursued, culture change is effected, and alignment with key allies is achieved. • Accelerate systemic change through a suite of proactive measures such as a proposed National Security Innovation Centre, a virtual Cyber Academy, a Cyber Test Range, and a cyber Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). This will help to normalise cyber as a part of everyday activity. A key consideration regarding any recommended actions is that of timing - the gap between threat and response capabilities is growing. In the aftermath of the global economic crisis all governments are faced with increasing financial pressures. Projected growth in public and private debt as well as social security and health costs will likely exacerbate these financial pressures in the future. If we do not increase our focus on cyberspace, the threat will grow faster than our response and the cost of addressing the growing threat gap in the future will increase, possibly exponentially. Any delay in taking action may prove unaffordable in the long-term and introduce greater risks. Details: Kingston, ACT, AUS: Kokoda Foundation, 2011. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Kokoda Papers, No. 14: Accessed March 16, 2011 at: http://www.kokodafoundation.org/Resources/Documents/KP14ResponsetoCyber.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.kokodafoundation.org/Resources/Documents/KP14ResponsetoCyber.pdf Shelf Number: 121021 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer NetworksComputer Security (Australia)CybercrimeCyberterrorism |
Author: Shetret, Liat Title: Use of the Internet for Counter-Terrorist Purposes Summary: On 1 May 2010, Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized U.S. citizen, tried to detonate a car bomb in the heart of New York’s Times Square. Thanks to the vigilance of local witnesses and to technical shortcomings, the bomb was detected and failed to explode. The investigation surrounding Shahzad’s case, like other, more recent cases, shows that the Internet played an important role in his violent radicalization and the planning and execution of the attempted attack. For example, he drew spiritual inspiration from lectures and videos circulated online by Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-Yemeni cleric, who helped to convince Shahzad to take up the cause of al-Qaida. Shahzad accessed Web sites for operational and planning purposes. He viewed “real-time video feeds of different areas of Times Square” to help determine which areas attract a large crowd and would result in a high casualty rate if attacked. Shahzad also used the Internet to discuss his plans with militants based in Pakistan. Terrorist operatives such as Shahzad often draw inspiration, reinforcement, support, and guidance from a variety of on- and off-line sources. Some clerics; experts; scholars, such as al-Awlaki; and virtual communities use the Internet to promote violent extremism on their blogs, social network pages, discussion forums, or through the streaming of videos on multimedia platforms such as YouTube. This brief provides an overview of challenges posed to stakeholders by the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes. It argues that the Internet is not the problem and that the online platform can be employed to counter terrorism efforts. Specifically, models of violent radicalization processes off-line offer an important and useful framework for the development and implementation of policies to counter online use of the Internet for terrorist purposes. The brief concludes by offering multilateral institutions, states, civil society organizations, the media, and the private sector examples of how they can use the Internet more effectively as a counterterrorism tool to prevent and counter the use of the Internet for violent radicalization. Four intervention points are suggested: (1) weaken cult personalities, (2) challenge the extremist doctrine, (3) dispel the glory of the “terrorist lifestyle,” and (4) offer a street-smart and locally developed and communicated counternarrative. Details: Washington, DC: Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation, 2011. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief: Accessed March 18, 2011 at: http://www.globalct.org/images/content/pdf/policybriefs/LS_policybrief_119.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.globalct.org/images/content/pdf/policybriefs/LS_policybrief_119.pdf Shelf Number: 121073 Keywords: Computer CrimesCounter-TerrorismInternet CrimesTerrorismTerrorists |
Author: Loughlin, Jennifer Title: Child Luring Through the Internet Summary: The Internet is a virtual world filled with an abundance of information and endless sources of entertainment. While an extraordinary tool, the Internet comes with risks. For children these risks include the dangers of sexual exploitation, such as luring through the Internet. In 2002, the Canadian Criminal Code was amended to include new offences that would help combat the luring of individuals under the age of 18, by making it "illegal to communicate with children over the Internet for the purpose of committing a sexual offence". Accordingly, police services across Canada began collecting and reporting child luring incidents that come to their attention under this new legislative amendment. Presently, there is little data available on child luring. The information that does exist represents only those incidents that have been reported to the police. Therefore, it is difficult to quantify the full extent and nature of child luring offences in Canada. Nonetheless, using the first available police-reported data on child luring, this article presents a snapshot of the characteristics of this relatively new criminal offence and the people accused of committing it, as well as an examination of court cases and decisions for child luring offences. Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2009. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Juristat, vol. 19, no. 1: Accessed April 1, 2011 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2009001/article/10783-eng.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Canada URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2009001/article/10783-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 121217 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseComputer CrimesCrime StatisticsInternet CrimesSex Crimes (Canada)Sex Offenders |
Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office Title: Combating Child Pornography: Steps Are Needed to Ensure That Tips to Law Enforcement Are Useful and Forensic Examinations Are Cost Effective Summary: The Department of Justice (DOJ) reports that online child pornography crime has increased. DOJ funds the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which maintains the CyberTipline to receive child pornography tips. The Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology To Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008 (the Act) contains provisions to facilitate these investigations and create a national strategy to prevent, among other things, child pornography. The Act directed GAO to report on actions to minimize duplication and enhance federal expenditures to address this crime. This report examines (1) the extent to which NCMEC determines the usefulness of tips; (2) mechanisms to help law enforcement coordination (i.e., deconfliction); and (3) the extent to which agencies are addressing factors that federal law enforcement reports may inhibit investigations. GAO analyzed the Act and spoke to law enforcement officials who investigate these crimes, selected to reflect geographic range, among other things. Although these interviews cannot be generalized, they provided insight into investigations. NCMEC takes steps to obtain feedback from law enforcement on the usefulness of CyberTipline reports; however, it does not systematically collect information on how useful individual reports are for initiating and advancing investigations or about information gaps that limit reports' usefulness. For instance, NCMEC solicits feedback via e-mail or in person quarterly from federal law enforcement liaisons at NCMEC about the overall usefulness of CyberTipline reports. However, according to many law enforcement officials GAO contacted, information in a CyberTipline report may not contain an image of apparent child pornography or may contain old data. NCMEC officials said that they are interested in obtaining additional feedback to enhance the usefulness of its reports and could explore additional methods to gather such information, such as creating a systematic process for obtaining feedback from federal law enforcement. Enhancing its processes for collecting feedback on the usefulness of CyberTipline reports could help NCMEC ensure that reports are as useful as possible to law enforcement. Existing deconfliction mechanisms generally prevent pursuit of the same suspects but are fragmented; DOJ is in the early stages of developing a system to address this fragmentation. Many law enforcement officials GAO contacted reported using various nonautomated (e.g., task forces) and automated (e.g., investigative systems) mechanisms to avoid duplication of effort in investigations. But these officials reported that there is not a single automated system that provides comprehensive case information and deconfliction, which can contribute to difficulties coordinating investigations. As mandated in the Act, DOJ is developing a national system to, among other things, provide law enforcement with a single deconfliction tool. Specifically, DOJ is conducting a needs assessment--which it plans to complete in 12 to 24 months--to use as a basis for system development. However, because DOJ is waiting on the results of the needs assessment to begin system development, it may be several years before the system is operational. Backlogs in the forensic analysis of digital evidence can delay or hinder online child pornography investigations; assessing the costs and benefits of taking extra steps to ensure the integrity of forensic analysis could help determine if there are efficiencies that could reduce backlogs. Forensic analysis of digital evidence consists of the review of information from digital media, such as hard drives, and can prove online child pornography crime. Several factors may contribute to backlogs in forensic analysis, including the steps federal law enforcement agencies believe enhance the integrity of analysis, such as making exact copies of digital evidence to discourage tampering. The FBI takes additional steps it believes enhance integrity, such as separating the forensic examination from the investigation. However, some federal officials and prosecutors GAO spoke with differed on the need for such steps. According to DOJ, the national strategy's working group is in a good position to address backlog issues and having this group assess the costs and benefits of steps taken to ensure the integrity of forensic analysis could help it determine potential efficiencies that could reduce backlogs. GAO recommends that NCMEC enhance its processes to collect feedback to improve tips and that DOJ assess the costs and benefits of steps agencies take to ensure the integrity of forensic analysis. NCMEC and DOJ generally concurred with our recommendations and discussed actions to address them. Details: Washington, DC: U.S.Government Accountability Office, 2011. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-11-334: Accessed April 2, 2011 at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11334.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11334.pdf Shelf Number: 121221 Keywords: Child AbuseChild PornographyChild ProtectionComputer CrimesCriminal InvestigationsCybercrimesInternetSex Offenses |
Author: Karaganis, Joe, ed. Title: Music Piracy in Emerging Economies Summary: Media Piracy in Emerging Economies is the first independent, large-scale study of music, film and software piracy in emerging economies, with a focus on Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa, Mexico and Bolivia. Based on three years of work by some thirty-five researchers, Media Piracy in Emerging Economies tells two overarching stories: one tracing the explosive growth of piracy as digital technologies became cheap and ubiquitous around the world, and another following the growth of industry lobbies that have reshaped laws and law enforcement around copyright protection. The report argues that these efforts have largely failed, and that the problem of piracy is better conceived as a failure of affordable access to media in legal markets. Major Findings ■Prices are too high. High prices for media goods, low incomes, and cheap digital technologies are the main ingredients of global media piracy. Relative to local incomes in Brazil, Russia, or South Africa, the retail price of a CD, DVD, or copy of MS Office is five to ten times higher than in the US or Europe. Legal media markets are correspondingly tiny and underdeveloped. ■ Competition is good. The chief predictor of low prices in legal media markets is the presence of strong domestic companies that compete for local audiences and consumers. In the developing world, where global film, music, and software companies dominate the market, such conditions are largely absent. ■ Antipiracy education has failed. The authors find no significant stigma attached to piracy in any of the countries examined. Rather, piracy is part of the daily media practices of large and growing portions of the population. ■ Changing the law is easy. Changing the practice is hard. Industry lobbies have been very successful at changing laws to criminalize these practices, but largely unsuccessful at getting governments to apply them. There is, the authors argue, no realistic way to reconcile mass enforcement and due process, especially in countries with severely overburdened legal systems. ■ Criminals can’t compete with free. The study finds no systematic links between media piracy and organized crime or terrorism in any of the countries examined. Today, commercial pirates and transnational smugglers face the same dilemma as the legal industry: how to compete with free. ■ Enforcement hasn’t worked. After a decade of ramped up enforcement, the authors can find no impact on the overall supply of pirated goods. Details: Washington, DC: Social Science Research Council, 2011. 425p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 7, 2011 at: http://piracy.ssrc.org/the-report/ Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://piracy.ssrc.org/the-report/ Shelf Number: 121274 Keywords: Computer CrimesIntellectual PropertyMusic Trade, Corrupt PracticesPiracy (Copyright) |
Author: Sommer, Peter Title: Reducing Systemic Cybersecurity Risk Summary: This report is part of a broader OECD study into ―Future Global Shocks, examples of which could include a further failure of the global financial system, large-scale pandemics, escape of toxic substances resulting in wide-spread long-term pollution, and long-term weather or volcanic conditions inhibiting transport links across key intercontinental routes. The authors have concluded that very few single cyber-related events have the capacity to cause a global shock. Governments nevertheless need to make detailed preparations to withstand and recover from a wide range of unwanted cyber events, both accidental and deliberate. There are significant and growing risks of localised misery and loss as a result of compromise of computer and telecommunications services. In addition, reliable Internet and other computer facilities are essential in recovering from most other large-scale disasters. Details: Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2011. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 11, 2011 at: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/44/46889922.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/44/46889922.pdf Shelf Number: 121708 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeCybersecurityInternet |
Author: Saadawi, Tarek Title: Cyber Infrastructure Protection Summary: The Internet, as well as other telecommunication networks and information systems, have become an integrated part of our daily lives, and our dependency upon their underlying infrastructure is ever-increasing. Unfortunately, as our dependency has grown, so have hostile attacks on the cyber infrastructure by network predators. The lack of security as a core element in the initial design of these information systems has made common desktop software, infrastructure services, and information networks increasingly vulnerable to continuous and innovative breakers of security. Worms, viruses, and spam are examples of attacks that cost the global economy billions of dollars in lost productivity. Sophisticated distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks that use thousands of web robots (bots) on the Internet and telecommunications networks are on the rise. The ramifications of these attacks are clear: the potential for a devastating largescale network failure, service interruption, or the total unavailability of service. Yet many security programs are based solely on reactive measures, such as the patching of software or the detection of attacks that have already occurred, instead of proactive measures that prevent attacks in the first place. Most of the network security configurations are performed manually and require experts to monitor, tune security devices, and recover from attacks. On the other hand, attacks are getting more sophisticated and highly automated, which gives the attackers an advantage in this technology race. A key contribution of this book is that it provides an integrated view and a comprehensive framework of the various issues relating to cyber infrastructure protection. It covers not only strategy and policy issues, but it also covers social, legal, and technical aspects of cyber security as well. Details: Carlisle, PA: U.S. Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, 2011. 324p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2011 at: www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/download.cfm?q=1067 Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 121739 Keywords: Communications SecurityComputer CrimesCyber SecurityCybercrimeInformation SecurityInternet Crimes |
Author: Reyns, Bradford W. Title: Being Pursued Online: Extent and Nature of Cyberstalking Victimization from a Lifestyle/Routine Activities Perspective Summary: The field of stalking has experienced a great deal of growth and refinement over the last decade, but its online counterpart is still little understood. The study of cyberstalking has been challenged by conceptual issues (e.g., defining cyberstalking), a lack of data, and other methodological concerns (e.g., small sample sizes, obtaining sampling frames). The extent of cyberstalking victimization is not currently known, but estimates range from 3.7% to 31% of study participants in the few studies that have attempted to estimate its scope. However, because of definitional inconsistencies and methodological deficiencies in past work, comparisons across studies are difficult. The issue is further complicated by studies that have measured cyberstalking as method of pursuit for spatial stalkers. The current study is an attempt to build upon and overcome the shortcomings of past work in the area. Accordingly, the purpose of this dissertation is threefold: (1) to estimate the extent of cyberstalking among a sample of undergraduate students at a large urban university in the Midwest, using a definition of cyberstalking based on legal statutes and previous research; (2) to utilize the lifestyle/routine activities theory perspective to better understand correlates of victimization; and (3) to determine whether this theoretical framework can be used to explain victimization in cyberspace. Findings indicate that the number of online social networks an individual owns, the number of daily updates to those networks, use of AOL Instant Messenger (AOL IM), allowing strangers to access personal information online (e.g., adding strangers as friends to social networking sites), using online services designed to monitor online network activity (i.e., profile trackers), engaging in online deviance, and low self-control are significant predictors of cyberstalking victimization, suggesting moderate support for lifestyle/routine activities theory in explaining cyberstalking. Possible methods for preventing cyberstalking are discussed. Details: Cincinnati, OH: University of Cincinnati, School of Criminal Justice, 2010. 186p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 1, 2011 at: http://www.cech.uc.edu/criminaljustice/files/2010/05/reyns_dissertation.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.cech.uc.edu/criminaljustice/files/2010/05/reyns_dissertation.pdf Shelf Number: 121932 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyberstalkingHarassmentInternet CrimesStalkingVictimization |
Author: Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Title: The Protection of Children Online: Risks Faced by Children Online and Policies to Protect Them Summary: An increasing number of children are now using the Internet. They are starting at a younger age, using a variety of devices and spending more time online. The Internet can be a major channel for their education, creativity and self-expression. However, it also carries a spectrum of risks to which children are more vulnerable than adults. Addressing risks faced by children online is becoming a policy priority for an increasing number of governments. This means facing many complex policy challenges: How to mitigate risks without reducing the opportunities and benefits for children online? How to prevent risks while preserving fundamental values for all Internet users, including the children themselves? How to ensure that policies are proportionate to the problem and do not unsettle the framework conditions that have enabled the Internet economy to flourish? Governments are not alone in their efforts to protect children online. Parents, caregivers, educators, business and civil society can also help children to benefit from the Internet. They too have a responsibility to protect them against risks online. Although some of these issues emerged in the early days of the World Wide Web, they have recently gained policy attention. At the Seoul Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy in June 2008, Ministers called for a collaborative effort by governments, the private sector, civil society and the Internet technical community to build a common understanding of the impact of the Internet on minors and to enhance their protection and support when using the Internet. They also called for increased cross-border co-operation by governments and enforcement authorities with respect to the protection of minors. This report focuses on online risks for children and policies to protect them as Internet users. It examines direct and indirect policy measures available to OECD member and non-member countries to help mitigate risks for children online in order to: • Present and compare existing and planned policy approaches for the protection of children online; • Explore how international co-operation can enhance the protection of minors on the Internet. Three broad categories of online risks for children are considered in this report: i) content and contact risks, including exposure to pornography, cybergrooming and cyberbullying; ii) consumer risks related, for example, to online marketing and fraudulent transactions; and iii) privacy and security risks, including the use of social networks without sufficient understanding of potential long-term consequences. Statistical data about children’s use of the Internet and the prevalence of risks are limited. The data are often fragmented and non-representative and offer few possibilities for comparing studies and countries. In particular, definitions of risks often differ, and survey methodologies vary significantly, making it difficult to compare risk prevalence rates. While the same spectrum of risks is present in all countries, the available data suggest that prevalence rates vary. Moreover, because children’s activities, skills and resilience differ, their interactions with the online environment and the consequences differ as well. While children’s capabilities are likely to increase with age, so can their own risky behavior. Online risks faced by children are many and evolving. Addressing them requires a blend of approaches that include legislative, self- and co-regulatory, technical, awareness and educational measures, as well as positive content provision and child safety zones. In practice, each country operates its own policy mix of characteristics and priorities, which reflects its perception of priorities as well as its culture and style of government. Moreover, policy measures that address different risks and initiatives from various stakeholders at different levels co-exist. This creates policy complexity at national level and policy heterogeneity across countries. Government policies to protect children online are in their infancy. To enhance their efficiency and catch up with the rapid adoption of the Internet by children, governments face three main challenges: • Managing policy complexity through enhanced policy co-ordination, consistency and coherence; • Adopting an evidence-based policy-making approach; • Taking advantage of international co-operation to improve the efficiency of national policy frameworks and foster capacity-building. For policy to protect children online to operate effectively as the sum of its parts, governments should enhance the coherence of their policy measures and tools in collaboration with all stakeholders. Public-private partnerships, for instance, have been a successful way to encourage self- and co-regulation. Policies to protect children online would benefit from efforts to ensure consistency with other important policy objectives, such as the preservation of fundamental rights and maintenance of the framework conditions which have enabled the Internet to become a global open platform for innovation, economic growth and social progress. With some notable exceptions, the impact of national policy frameworks and individual policy measures for the protection of children online is not regularly assessed and performance evaluations are only exceptionally built into policy. A systematic approach to evidence-based policy making is essential to determine policy priorities and maximise the protection afforded by national policy. The policy-making process would benefit from official statistics on children’s use of the Internet and the prevalence of risk. This would require a more consistent approach to definitions, methodologies and indicators. Impact assessments would help address conflicting policy objectives and place greater emphasis on the quantification of benefits and costs. International and regional co-operation is another area for improvement. While international and regional intergovernmental organisations (including, in addition to the OECD, the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation, the Council of Europe, the International Telecommunication Union, the Internet Governance Forum and the European Commission) are already involved, co-ordinated international work by governments and other stakeholders to protect children online would also support efforts by governments at national level. Successful international co-operation relies on the involvement of all relevant international stakeholders. The report provides examples of international co-operation at the policy and operational levels. These include international strategic partnerships, capacity building and joint events (e.g. Safer Internet Day) as well as the sharing of successful educational and awareness raising campaigns. However, the organisation of a regular joint international event on child protection online, with the participation of national and international players, would be an effective way to co-ordinate efforts and take advantage of potential synergies. It would offer a way to share best practices among governments, business and civil society, including the research community, with a view to making the lessons learned from field experience available to policy makers. It would also help bridge communities such as policy makers and practitioners in the area of Internet policy, education, development and capacity building, law enforcement, and statistics. Another avenue for international co-operation is the development of more comparable statistics to enable comparisons across countries and to help governments better assess the efficiency of their frameworks. OECD model surveys could, for example, include a module on children’s access to and use of the Internet and on risk prevalence. Significant work would be needed to harmonise age ranges and define risks to determine data collection methodologies (e.g. survey of parents and educators versus survey of children). Details: Paris: OECD Publishing, 2011. 105p. Source: Internet Resource: OECD Economy Papers, No. 179: Accessed July 5, 2011 at: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/download/fulltext/5kgcjf71pl28.pdf?expires=1309871644&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=2F467BD4A26D25F5DA1D104555EDFDC4 Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/download/fulltext/5kgcjf71pl28.pdf?expires=1309871644&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=2F467BD4A26D25F5DA1D104555EDFDC4 Shelf Number: 121968 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyberbullyingCybercrimesInternet CrimesOnline Victimization (Children)Pornography |
Author: CIFAS - The UK's Fraud Prevention Service Title: Digital Thieves: A Special Report on Online Fraud Summary: In Digital Thieves, CIFAS and a wide range of fraud prevention experts have combined not only to focus on identity fraud and account takeover, but also to explain specifically the online dimension to these crimes. There are tips on staying safe online and protected from fraud; stories from the victims of fraud; a series of maps laying bare the true, alarming, scale of these crimes; an examination of how businesses can fall victim; and articles looking at how internet crime has developed and what may, or may not, happen next. Details: London: CIFAS, 2010. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 18, 2011 at: http://www.cifas.org.uk/secure/contentPORT/uploads/documents/CIFAS%20Reports/Digital_Thieves_October2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cifas.org.uk/secure/contentPORT/uploads/documents/CIFAS%20Reports/Digital_Thieves_October2010.pdf Shelf Number: 122091 Keywords: Computer CrimesFraud (U.K.)Identity TheftOnline Victimization |
Author: Bhuller, Manudeep Title: Broadband Internet: An Information Superhighway to Sex Crime? Summary: Does internet use trigger sex crime? We use unique Norwegian data on crime and internet adoption to shed light on this question. A public program with limited funding rolled out broadband access points in 2000-2008, and provides plausibly exogenous variation in internet use. Our instrumental variables and fixed effect estimates show that internet use is associated with a substantial increase in reported incidences of rape and other sex crimes. We present a theoretical framework that highlights three mechanisms for how internet use may affect reported sex crime, namely a reporting effect, a matching effect on potential offenders and victims, and a direct effect on crime propensity. Our results indicate that the direct effect is non-negligible and positive, plausibly as a result of increased consumption of pornography. Details: Bonn: Institute for the Study of Labor, 2011. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: IZA Discussion Paper No. 5675: Accessed July 21, 2011 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp5675.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Norway URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp5675.pdf Shelf Number: 122136 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet (Norway)PornographyRapeSex Crimes |
Author: Campbell, Richard J. Title: The Smart Grid and Cybersecurity — Regulatory Policy and Issues Summary: Electricity is vital to the commerce and daily functioning of United States. The modernization of the grid to accommodate today’s uses is leading to the incorporation of information processing capabilities for power system controls and operations monitoring. The “Smart Grid” is the name given to the evolving electric power network as new information technology systems and capabilities are incorporated. While these new components may add to the ability to control power flows and enhance the efficiency of grid operations, they also potentially increase the susceptibility of the grid to cyber (i.e., computer-related) attack since they are built around microprocessor devices whose basic functions are controlled by software programming. The potential for a major disruption or widespread damage to the nation’s power system from a large scale cyberattack has increased focus on the cybersecurity of the Smart Grid. Federal efforts to enhance the cybersecurity of the electrical grid were emphasized with the recognition of cybersecurity as a critical issue for electric utilities in developing the Smart Grid. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) received primary responsibility for the reliability of the bulk power system from the Energy Policy Act of 2005. FERC subsequently designated the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) as the “Electric Reliability Organization” (ERO) with the responsibility of establishing and enforcing reliability standards. Compliance with reliability standards for electric utilities thus changed from a voluntary, peer-driven undertaking to a mandatory function. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) later added requirements for “a reliable and secure electricity infrastructure” with regard to Smart Grid development. NERC is also responsible for standards for critical infrastructure protection (CIP) which focus on planning and procedures for the physical security of the grid. Self-determination is a key part of the CIP reliability process. Utilities are allowed to self-identify what they see as “critical assets” under NERC regulations. Only “critical cyber assets” (i.e., as essential to the reliable operation of critical assets) are subject to CIP standards. FERC has directed NERC to revise the standards so that some oversight of the identification process for critical cyber assets was provided, but any revision is again subject to stakeholder approval. While reliability standards are mandatory, the ERO process for developing regulations is somewhat unusual in that the regulations are essentially being established by the entities who are being regulated. This may potentially be a conflict of interest, especially when cost of compliance is a concern, and acceptable standards may conceivably result from the option with the lowest costs. Since utility systems are interconnected in many ways, the system with the least protected network potentially provides the weakest point of access. Cybersecurity threats represent a constantly moving and increasing target for mitigation activities and mitigation efforts could likewise spiral upward in costs. Recovery of costs may present a major challenge especially to distribution utilities and state commissions charged with overseeing utility costs. EISA only requires states to consider recovery of costs related to Smart Grid systems. FERC has jurisdiction over the bulk power grid, and cannot compel entities involved in distribution to comply with its regulations. Recoverability from a cyber attack on the scale of something which could take down a significant portion of the grid will likely be very difficult, but maintaining a ready inventory of critical spare parts in close proximity to key installations could quicken recovery efforts from some types of attack. The electricity grid is connected to (and largely dependent on) the natural gas pipeline, water supply, and telecommunications systems. Technologies being developed for use by the Smart Grid could also be used by these industries. Consideration could be given to applying similar control system device and system safeguards to these other critical utility systems. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Services, 2011. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: R41886: Accessed July 21, 2011 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41886.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41886.pdf Shelf Number: 122138 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeCybersecurity (U.S.)Electrical Power |
Author: Connolly, Chris Title: An Overview of International Cyber-Security Awareness Raising and Educational Initiatives Summary: This study presents a comparative study of international Cyber-Security awareness training and educational initiatives. The report examined 68 international initiatives. This project has consisted of two research components: Component 1 – Comparative analysis of international initiatives: The first component was a comparative analysis of the approaches taken internationally to provide awareness raising and educational activities designed to empower the general and small business community with respect to Cyber-Security risks. This study examined a selection (68 in total) of initiatives in 11 jurisdictions. This study is not intended to represent an exhaustive study of every initiative in every jurisdiction. There has been a focus on English language initiatives – although 13 French and German initiatives were included in the study. Australian initiatives and resources were not included in this study. Component 2 – Campaign evaluations: The second component was an analysis of the literature used to support the implementation of these strategies as well as literature that evaluates the effectiveness of Cyber-Security education and awareness raising programs. This involved the examination of the only 2 initiatives (out of 68) where an evaluation had been conducted – plus 5 evaluations of similar campaigns in other fields (such as cyber-safety). This study is reporting on evaluations that are available and not evaluating campaigns per se. Details: Canberra: Australian Communications and Media Authority, 2011. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 28, 2011 at: http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310665/galexia_report-overview_intnl_cybersecurity_awareness.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310665/galexia_report-overview_intnl_cybersecurity_awareness.pdf Shelf Number: 122191 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeCybersecurity |
Author: Wei, Weixiao Title: Online Child Sexual Abuse Content: The Development of a Comprehensive, Transferable International Internet Notice and Takedown System Summary: This report establishes the value of an international ‘notice and takedown’ system, through the examination of the legislative and regulatory approaches in eight countries. The report found that there is compelling evidence that the ‘notice and takedown’ system already used in some countries is effective in removing child sexual abuse content at source, while still allowing law enforcement authorities to capture evidence for investigations aimed at prosecuting offenders and where possible, the rescue of child victims. The report makes recommendations on how these methods could be implemented internationally. Details: Cambridge, UK: Internet Watch Foundation, 2011. 131p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2011 at: Year: 2011 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 122886 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseComputer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline Victimization |
Author: Rush, Howard Title: Crime Online: Cybercrime and Illegal Innovation Summary: With the growing sophistication and use of information technology, the past decade has seen a major growth in cybercrime. Broadly described, cybercrime refers to all types of crime that exploit modern telecommunications networks, in which computers or computer networks are used for criminal activity. This report focuses exclusively on financial cybercrime, specifically credit card fraud and identity theft. Financial cybercrime has increased dramatically in recent years and looks set to increase further as the proliferation of communications technology proceeds apace and reaches regions of the world with many underemployed poor people with information technology skills who can take advantage of cybercrime opportunities. The current global recession will likely increase this trend still further. Details: Brighton, UK: CENTRIM, University of Brighton, 2009. 97p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 22, 2011 at: http://eprints.brighton.ac.uk/5800/ Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://eprints.brighton.ac.uk/5800/ Shelf Number: 123116 Keywords: Computer CrimesCredit Card FraudCybercrimesFinancial CrimesIdentity TheftOnline Victimization |
Author: Smyth, Sara M. Title: Measuring the Extent of Cyber-Fraud in Canada: A Discussion Paper on Potential Methods and Data Sources Summary: Central to developing and monitoring the progress of strategies for combating cyber crime is reliable information about crime volume, in terms of the number of incidents and offenders, the prevalence of cyberspace tools for the commission of crime, as well as the number of victims. This discussion paper assesses the potential for using innovative methodologies to estimate the scope of cyber-fraud, identifies existing data sources and gaps, and suggests novel sources of data that may help provide a more accurate picture of the degree of cyber-fraud in Canada. Further, possible ways to determine the proportions of cyber-fraud attributable to criminal networks rather than single individuals are discussed. This research is informed by a literature review and interviews with law enforcement and Information Technology (IT) personnel. The literature review and interviews show that the largest impediment to effectively managing the problem of cyber-fraud is the lack of reliable data. The Government of Canada primarily relies on police-reported data for information about cyber-fraud. Yet, there are a number of reasons why fraud incidents are not reported to police. For example, companies may prefer to handle such matters internally, or individuals may only report that they were defrauded to their financial institution. This research shows that current information about cyber-fraud is being funnelled to a variety of different organizations, including banks, regulatory agencies and various police agencies, or is simply not recorded. There is a clear shortage of data measuring the prevalence and costs of cyber-fraud in Canada and the available information is incomplete and fragmented. The lack of reporting of cyber-fraud incidents by individual and corporate/government victims means that many cases are not recorded or represented in official crime statistics This research demonstrates a strong need for the creation of a national centre to record and measure data relating to cyberfraud across Canada. A central databank of known cyber-fraud offenders and cases across the country could facilitate the identification and tracking of suspects in cyber-fraud cases and could further understanding regarding when one individual, or group of individuals, is committing fraud all over the country. Ultimately, a national databank on cyber-fraud incidents could give law enforcement officials a better understanding of the types of cyber-fraud being committed in Canada. Sophisticated technologies and the global distribution of computer networks also increase the difficulty of detecting and addressing cyber-fraud and hinder the ability to find and prosecute criminals operating online. In addition, there are operational challenges related to ensuring that law enforcement officials have the training and resources they need to adequately address the problem and able to identify perpetrators of cyber-frauds. Attempting to locate a perpetrator is problematic in many cases of cyber-fraud because skilled attackers cover their tracks by using proxies and other technical obfuscation methods. This research suggests that the best source for further information on cyber-fraud is offender populations. Offender interviews may help uncover the network structure of hidden populations and help the law enforcement community to identify key players within the group. Of the options available for hidden populations, a truncated Poisson model is suggested as the most effective model. Ideally, this research could help pave the way for data collection and analysis that would better inform law enforcement officials, investigators, and policy makers about the extent of cyber-fraud and cyber-criminal populations in Canada. This research may contribute toward the enhancement of prevention and suppression strategies, as well as the development of an empirical means for evaluating the effectiveness of initiatives, including elements of Canada’s Cyber Crime Strategy. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2011. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Report No. 020, 2011: Accessed November 22, 2011 at: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2011/sp-ps/PS14-4-2011-eng.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2011/sp-ps/PS14-4-2011-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 123422 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrime (Canada)FraudIdentity TheftInternet Crimes |
Author: Grauman, Brigid Title: Cyber-security: The Vexed Question of Global Rules Summary: This report is made up of a survey of some 250 leading authorities worldwide and of interviews carried out in late 2011 and early 2012 with over 80 cyber-security experts in government, companies, international organisations and academia. It offers a global snapshot of current thinking about the cyber-threat and the measures that should be taken to defend against it, and assesses the way ahead. It is aimed at the influential layperson, and deliberately avoids specialised language. For the moment, the “bad guys” have the upper hand – whether they are attacking systems for industrial or political espionage reasons, or simply to steal money - because the lack of international agreements allows them to operate swiftly and mostly with impunity. Protecting data and systems against cyber-attack has so far been about dousing the flames, although recently the focus has been shifting towards more assertive self-protection. The first part of this two-part report concentrates on the main issues that are slowing progress, starting with the absence of agreement on what we mean by terms like cyber-war or cyber-attack. It reflects sharp divisions over the rights of individuals and states in cyber-space. Most Western countries believe that freedom of access to the internet is a basic human right, and that he or she also has a right to privacy and security that should be protected by laws. UNESCO argues that the right to assemble in cyberspace comes under Article 19 of the Declaration of Human Rights. At the other end of the spectrum are those countries, like Russia and China, that favour a global treaty but nevertheless believe that access to the internet should be limited if it threatens regime stability, and that information can also be seen as a cyber-threat. For these countries, any state has the right to control content within its sovereign internet space. Linked to the rights and responsibilities of states is the thorny issue of attribution. There are those countries that say that attribution to a specific attacker is impossible, and that the focus has to be defence from attacks. Others argue that attribution is possible, but requires international cooperation, sharing of information and assistance from local authorities. Some states believe that cooperation is a threat to their sovereignty; others say they can’t be held responsible for the activities of individuals or private companies. And a number apparently fear openness because they don’t want to see restrictions on their political or military objectives. Some clear themes emerge from the report, and they are issues that need fairly urgent resolution. Among these is how and to what degree should a more proactive, some would say more bellicose, stance be developed both in the military and private arenas; the need for much greater international cooperation; introducing a more solid security architecture to the internet; and establishing cyber-confidence building measures as an easier alternative to any global treaty, or at least as a gapfiller until a treaty is agreed. The second part of this report are 21 country stress tests, complemented by findings from the global survey the SDA conducted in the autumn of 2011 among 250 top cyber-security specialists in 35 countries. They included government ministers, staff at international organisations, leading academics, think-tankers and IT specialists, and their views diverged widely on how to improve international cooperation in cyberspace, which over half of them now consider a global common like the sea or space. Details: Brussels, Belgium: Security & Defence Agenda, 2012. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 14, 2012 at: http://www.securitydefenceagenda.org/Portals/14/Documents/Publications/SDA_Cyber_report_FINAL.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.securitydefenceagenda.org/Portals/14/Documents/Publications/SDA_Cyber_report_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 124133 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyber-SecurityCybercrimeInternet Crimes |
Author: Wilshusen, Gregory C. Title: Cybersecurity: Challenges in Securing the Modernized Electricity Grid Summary: The electric power industry is increasingly incorporating information technology (IT) systems and networks into its existing infrastructure as part of nationwide efforts—commonly referred to as the “smart grid”—aimed at improving reliability and efficiency and facilitating the use of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar. Smart grid technologies include metering infrastructure (“smart meters”) that enable two-way communication between customers and electricity utilities, smart components that provide system operators with detailed data on the conditions of transmission and distribution systems, and advanced methods for controlling equipment. The use of these systems can bring a number of benefits, such as fewer and shorter outages, lower electricity rates, and an improved ability to respond to attacks on the electric grid. However, this increased reliance on IT systems and networks also exposes the grid to cybersecurity vulnerabilities, which can be exploited by attackers. Moreover, for nearly a decade, GAO has identified the protection of systems supporting our nation’s critical infrastructure—which include the electric grid—as a governmentwide high-risk area. GAO is providing a statement describing (1) cyber threats facing cyber-reliant critical infrastructures and (2) key challenges to securing smart grid systems and networks. In preparing this statement, GAO relied on its previously published work in this area. Details: Washington, DC: United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), 2012. 19p. Source: GAO-12-507T: Internet Resource: Accessed March 11, 2012 at http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588913.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588913.pdf Shelf Number: 124441 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeCybersecurity (U.S.)Electrical Power |
Author: Cross, Cassandra Title: The Donald MacKay Churchill Fellowship to Study Methods for Preventing and Supporting of Victims of Online Fraud: Final Report Summary: Every day inboxes are being flooded with invitations to invest money in overseas schemes, notifications of overseas lottery wins and inheritances, as well as emails from banks and other institutions asking for customers to confirm information about their identity and account details. While these requests may seem outrageous, many believe the request to be true and respond, through the sending of money or personal details. This can have devastating consequences, financially, emotionally and physically. While enforcement action is important, greater success is likely to come in the area of prevention, which avoids victim losses in the first place. Considerable victim support is also required by victims who have suffered significant losses, in trying to get their lives back on track. This project examined fraud prevention strategies and support services for victims of online fraud across the United Kingdom, United States of America and Canada. While much work has already been undertaken in Queensland, there is considerable room for improvement and a great deal can be learnt from these overseas jurisdictions. There are several examples of innovative and effective responses, particularly in the area of victim support, that are highlighted throughout this report. It is advocated that Australia can continue to improve its position regarding the prevention and support of online fraud victims, by applying the knowledge and expertise learnt overseas to a local context. Details: Canberra City, Australia: Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, 2012. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2012 at: http://www.churchilltrust.com.au/site_media/fellows/2011_Cross_Cassandra.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.churchilltrust.com.au/site_media/fellows/2011_Cross_Cassandra.pdf Shelf Number: 124892 Keywords: Computer CrimesFraudInternet Fraud |
Author: Davidson, Julia Title: Online Abuse: Literature Review and Policy Context Summary: The principal aim of this review is to examine the context of online abuse by providing an overview of the relevant policy, legislation and safety practice within the European Union, focusing on case studies within the UK, Norway, Belgium and Italy to outline different attempts to educate children and young people about Internet safety issues1. An illustrative brief comparison to legislation and policy outside the EU is also provided, particularly for the USA, Australia and New Zealand where progress has been made in this area. The purpose of the review is to provide background to a scoping exercise on the current knowledge of online grooming and EU online child safety practice. This review will then inform parallel work collecting data from stakeholders on current knowledge, practice and policy on internet grooming for the sexual abuse of children. This is the first stage of an EC Safer Internet Plus Programme project to undertake the first comprehensive study of online grooming, involving the UK, Norway, Belgium and Italy. The breadth and scope of a European wide study entailed some decisions about selection of literature for review. The first decision was to focus on the European Union as opposed to the broader European continent. However, due to the awareness of the lack of geographical boundaries that online behaviour encompasses, there was an acknowledged need to reference other research in progress, for example in Russia, that sheds more light on young people’s online safety within the EU. The timescale for the review covers a period over the last five to six years – the period in which most of the research on young people and internet use has taken place. Details: European Online Grooming Project, 2011. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2012 at: http://www.europeanonlinegroomingproject.com/wp-content/file-uploads/EOGP-Literature-Review.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.europeanonlinegroomingproject.com/wp-content/file-uploads/EOGP-Literature-Review.pdf Shelf Number: 125714 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual Abuse |
Author: Webster, Stephen Title: Final Report (European Online Grooming Project) Summary: The sexual abuse of young people via the Internet is an international problem, a crime without geographical boundaries. Solutions both to perpetrators’ use of the Internet and to the safety of young people online must be sought and will necessarily involve agencies working to protect young people at local, national and international levels. Action of the Safer Internet Plus programme invited proposals for projects that aim to enhance the knowledge of the online sexual abuse of young people, with a particular focus on online grooming. • Online grooming is defined as the process by which a person befriends a young person1 online to facilitate online sexual contact and/or a physical meeting with them, with the goal of committing sexual abuse. The European Online Grooming Project research consortium is comprised of experts from across Europe and was tasked with meeting the following research objectives: o describe the behaviour of both offenders who groom and young people who are ‘groomed’, o describe how information, communication technology (ICT) may facilitate online grooming, o identify how young people are selected and prepared by online groomers for abuse online, o contribute to the development of prevention initiatives aimed at parents and young people. Methods • The project had three separate but interlinked phases. The first was a scoping project that involved a literature review, review of police case files and interviews with key stakeholders. Phase 2 of the research involved in-depth interviews with 33 male offenders convicted of online grooming in the UK, Belgium and Norway. Online groomers’ chat-logs were sourced from Italy. Phase 3 encompassed twelve focus groups with young people in the UK, Belgium and Italy. The aim of these groups was to understand young people’s online behaviour in the context of the groomers’ accounts, and explore young people’s view of online risks and current safety initiatives. In addition, seven dissemination events were held with teachers, parents and professionals in Belgium, Italy, Norway and the UK in order to promulgate the key findings from the project. • This report brings together findings from the main stages of the European Online Grooming Project - the in-depth interviews with online groomers, focus groups with young people, and dissemination events with key stakeholder groups. The scoping report and literature review have been published and are available for download at the project web-site. Details: European Online Grooming Project, 2012. 172p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2012 at: http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/843993/european-online-grooming-project-final-report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/843993/european-online-grooming-project-final-report.pdf Shelf Number: 125718 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual Abuse |
Author: Webster, Stephen Title: Scoping Report (European Online Grooming Project) Summary: The sexual abuse of young people via the Internet is an international problem, a crime without geographical boundaries. Solutions both to perpetrators’ use of the Internet and to the safety of young people online must be sought and will necessarily involve agencies working to protect young people at local, national and international levels. The police have suggested that an increasing number of online sex offenders are grooming young people online, using online social networks and internet chat rooms. Whilst a great deal is known about sex offender behaviour and there is an increasing body of pioneering work addressing those accessing indecent child images, little is known about online groomers and the way in which they select and engage victims. • To this end, Action 3.1 of the Safer Internet Plus programme invited proposals for projects that aim to enhance the knowledge of the online sexual abuse of young people, with a particular focus on online grooming. • Following a competitive tendering exercise, the European Online Grooming Project was commissioned. The research consortium is comprised of experts from across Europe, tasked with meeting the following overarching research objectives: • describe the behaviour of both offenders who groom and young people who are ‘groomed’ and explore differences (e.g. in demographics, behaviour or profiles) within each group and how these differences may have a bearing on offence outcome, • describe how information, communication technology (ICT) is used to facilitate the process of online grooming, • further the current low knowledge base about the way in which young people are selected and prepared by online groomers for abuse online, • make a significant contribution to the development of educational awareness and preventative initiatives aimed at parents and young people. The Project has three separate but interlinked phases. The first is a scoping project, the subject of this report. The second and third phases involve interviews with convicted online groomers across Europe and dissemination to professionals, parents, carers and young people respectively. • The scoping project contained three elements, all which had the aim of maximising the potential of phase 2 and 3 of the research. As such, the scoping phase contained a review of the literature and policy context1 and a review of convicted online groomers’ police case files. The scoping phase culminated with 19 in-depth interviews with stakeholders across Europe. These professionals all had expertise in the behaviour of online groomers from either an investigative, treatment, technological or young person’s perspective. • The review of police case files and interviews with key stakeholders resulted in the development of hypothetical model of online grooming. This model, drawn on case file and stakeholder accounts will then be used as a framework to ask questions of online groomers in the next stage of the research. It is important to note that the phases of the model presented here may be subsequent to significant change following the interviews with convicted online groomers. As such, the model in this report should be viewed as a hypothetical framework for subsequent appraisal. It should not be interpreted as the definitive presentation of the process of online grooming. • The hypothetical model has nine phases that encompass: vulnerability factors; grooming style; preparation and scanning; identity assumed 1; initial contact; identity assumed 2; desensitisation; offence maintenance and intensity; and finally, outcomes. • Evidence from stakeholder accounts suggests that some offenders may be engaging with 30 to 50 young people at different stages of the grooming process at any one time, and that offenders tend to refine their activities on the basis of what had ‘worked well’ in previous encounters with young people. Consequently, movement through different stages of the model of online grooming is neither unitary or linear, but rather, cyclical, involving a pattern of adoption, maintenance, relapse, and readoption over time. • It was also evident that the actual process of online grooming may take minutes, hours, days or months. As such, online groomers remain at different phases of the model for various lengths of time according to a dynamic inter-relationship between their goals and needs and the style or reactions of the young person. • In order to explain as well as describe online grooming, this report suggests that online grooming may be set within the context of three existing theories within forensic and social psychology. The first is Ward and Hudson’s (1998) self-regulation model of the sexual offence process. The central premise of Ward and Hudson’s theory is that different self-regulation styles, the internal and external processes that allow an individual to engage in goal-related behaviour, underpin the sexual offence process. The second is Suler’s (2004) theory of the online disinhibiton effect. This framework contains three dimensions that may also help develop understanding of online groomers’ behaviour: dissociative anonymity; invisibility and dissociative imaginationimagination. Finally, the theory of deindividuation (Zimbardo, 1969) proposes that factors such as anonymity, loss of individual responsibility, arousal and sensory overload contribute to a state of deindividuation and behavioral disinhibition where established norms of conduct may be violated. • It is important for all research to have an applied focus but even more so for this project, where the need for robust evidence is acute and the public safety message is clear. As such, stakeholders identified four core needs for the European Online Grooming Report. To provide strategies to aid detection and interviewing; further understanding regarding assessment and treatment needs; to raise awareness across the key groups outlined above; and finally, to avoid demonising the Internet per se. Details: European Online Grooming Project, 2010. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2012 at: http://www.europeanonlinegroomingproject.com/wp-content/file-uploads/EOGP-Project-scoping-report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.europeanonlinegroomingproject.com/wp-content/file-uploads/EOGP-Project-scoping-report.pdf Shelf Number: 125742 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual Abuse |
Author: Quayle, Ethel Title: Online Behaviour Related to Child Sexual Abuse: Interviews with affected Young People Summary: Most young people in Europe have access to the Internet. In a study by Livingstone et al. (2011), including 25 142 children between 9-16 years old in 25 countries in the European Union (EU), the average age for first time contact with the Internet was 9 years old. In this study 60% reported that they used the Internet on a daily basis and 33% that they used the Internet once or twice a week. Access to the Internet is not only increasing, but today many youth have their own mobile phones with internet access. In the study by Livingstone et al. (2011) 35% of the youth used their own PC, 24% their own laptop and 12% a handheld device (e.g. iPod Touch, I-phone and Blackberry) when going online. The most common activities online were doing schoolwork (85%) followed by online gaming (83%) and watching video clips (76%). Most young people are alone when using their mobile phone and the Internet (Medierådet, 2010). This differs from other media forms, e.g. watching television and playing games on the computer, that more often are done together with a friend or an adult. This means that young people most of the time are alone when surfing the net, without adults being able to supervise or to hinder the youth from possible risk taking online. Most young people seem though to be well aware of the fact that there are safe and risky behaviours connected with the use of Internet (Jonsson et al, 2009). When a child reaches adolescence it is developmentally normal to expand their social network, forming close relationships and experiencing sexuality. The Internet is accessible, anonymous and affordable (Cooper, 1998) which makes it natural to use it for sexual purposes. In a study by Daneback and Månsson (2009) nine out of ten Swedish young people, between 18-25 years old, used the Internet for romantic or sexual purposes. The most common online sexual activity was watching pornography among the boys and searching for information about sex among the girls. Many studies have shown that pornography use is greater for young males (Caroll et al, 2008; Luder et al., 2011; Svedin et al, 2011) but recent studies show that the gender differences are most apparent with older adolescents and that there are less differences between genders who are 12 years old and younger (Livingstone et al., 2011). However young people are not only passive consumers of sexual material. They also produce and distribute their own sexual material and find sexual contacts online. Online risk taking behaviour Offline risk taking behaviour such as use of drugs, smoking, not attending school and having unprotected sex are more common among adolescents than others (e.g. Benthin et al., 1993; Boyer, 2006; Steinberg, 2008). Studies indicate that young people who take risks offline also do so online (Mitchell et al, 2007a). However, different studies use varying definitions as to what online risk taking behaviour is. Baumgartner et al. (2010) limited their definition to include communication with unknown people and categorized the following behaviours as risky: - Searching online for someone to talk about sex - Searching online for someone to have sex - Sending intimate photos or videos to someone online - Disclosing personal information like telephone numbers and addresses to someone online. Most risk behaviour does not lead to any negative consequences and is more likely to be associated with positive outcomes, while other risk behaviours can result in abuse, be lifealtering or may, in extreme cases, even be a threat to life. Online risk taking behaviour has been shown to increase the likelihood of negative experiences, such as unwanted aggressive sexual solicitations online (Cooper et al., 2002; Mitchell et al., 2007b). Misuse of personal information by others is another negative consequence. Even if young people are well informed about the negative effects of, for example, taking drugs or having unprotected sex, some still go ahead. Likewise research studies, and results from clinical projects about online sexual abuse, have shown that young people often are well aware of the risks online but take them anyway (e.g. Jonsson et al., 2009; Wolak, 2007). This research addresses some of the major challenges in constructing preventative work to hinder young people from risk taking behaviours (see, for example, Denehy, 2000). There might be many explanations as to why young people take risks online. In the study by Baumgartner et al. (2010) young people’s engagement in online risky sexual behaviour was investigated in a cross-sectional study. The young people who took sexual risks online perceived that more friends were engaged in these behaviours, perceived fewer risks and more benefits from the risky sexual behaviour and felt personally less vulnerable to negative consequences than other young people. Probably most youth who take risks online estimate the risks to be less than the positive effects that might follow. Studies from clinical projects and research have shown that one primary function of online risk taking behaviour is to be seen and to receive affirmation (Jonsson et al., 2009; Jonsson & Svedin, 2012; Nigård, 2009). Details: Child Centre (The Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk; ROBERT Project, EU Safer Internet Programme, 2012. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2012 at: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/Interview_analysis_PRELIMINARY.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/Interview_analysis_PRELIMINARY.pdf Shelf Number: 125743 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual AbusePornographySocial Networking |
Author: Kolpakova, Olga, ed. Title: Online Behaviour Related to Child Sexual Abuse: Focus Groups' Findings Summary: Over the last two decades more than 200 studies have been made that focus on various aspects of child online sexual violence. The majority of the surveys highlighted the way children use Internet. According to one of the largest scale surveys – EU Kids Online survey – produced in 2010, 60% of European children aged 9 to 16 years old use the Internet on a daily basis, spending on average 88 minutes online. They do their homework, play games alone or against the computer, watch video clips online, use Internet interactively for communication (social networking, instant messaging etc.) and read/watch the news, play with others online, download films and music, share content peer-to-peer (eg, via webcam or message boards), visit chat rooms, share files, blog and spend time in a virtual world (Livingstone et al 2011). Internet accessibility, frequency and duration of use, and types of children's online activities have been the focus of studies in a number of other national surveys (Leicht & Sorensen 2011, Children… 2006, Medienpädagogischer… 2010a,b, Mainardi and Zgraggen 2010, Soldatova et al 2010, Levina et al 2011, Medierådet 2005, 2008, 2010). The more active our children are online, the greater the risks associated with Internet use. According to a number of studies, a significant number of children and young people practice behaviour which could potentially lead to negative repercussions, such as; seeking new friends online (Levina et al 2011), having contact online with someone they have never met face to face (Livingstone et al 2011), having people on “buddy lists” known only online (Ybarra et al 2007, Levina et al 2011), sending personal information to people they have never met face to face (Livingstone et al 2011, Levina et al 2011), posting personal information (Ybarra et al 2007) and sexualized images (Svedin & Priebe 2009, Daneback & Månsson 2009), posing nude (De Graaf & Vanweseenbeeck 2006) or masturbating (Svedin & Priebe 2009) in front of a web cam, sending personal information (Ybarra et al 2007, Levina et al 2011), sending or receiving sexual images (Lenhart 2009), accessing pornography (Svedin et al 2011, Wolak et al 2007, Sørensen & Kjørholt 2007, Sabina et al 2008), talking about sex online (Medieradet… 2010, Livingstone et al 2011, Ybarra et al 2007) and meeting people face to face offline who they initially made contact with on the Internet (ACPI/PROTEGELES 2002, Helweg-Larsen et al 2009, Livingstone et al 2011, Mainardi & Zgraggen 2010, Monteiro & Gomes 2009, Wojtasik 2004). In some cases such behaviour could be regarded as a form of adolescent age-appropriate social and sexual expression and curiosity, and may not always lead to negative repercussions. In other cases, however, children and adolescents have narrowly avoided danger in potentially threatening situations. Therefore, not all those interacting online with unknown people, sometimes discussing sex, have been exposed to unwanted sexual solicitations or other negative repercussions (Wolak et al 2008). Of those who reported having seen pornography online accidentally or purposefully, two of three were unaffected by the experience (Livingstone et al 2011). However, some children and young people do experience negative consequences from such behaviour. Children may feel cheated, disgusted or uncomfortable by what they have seen on pornographic websites (Livingstone et al 2011), young people may be highly distressed after incidents of solicitation (Mitchell et al 2001), in some cases children and adolescents could be pressured or threatened into having sex during offline meetings with their online acquaintances (Suseg et al 2008, Helweg-Larsen et al 2009, Levina et al 2011). Studies have shown that the Internet (Levina et al 2010), and in particular chat rooms (Briggs et al 2010, Wagner 2008) and social networking sites (Wise et al 2010), could be used by offenders who are interested either in engaging in cyber sex without any direct wish to meet in real life or in meeting offline for sex. In a number of studies individual risk factors that led to sexual abuse, were identified. Studies show that girls (Baumgartner et al 2010, Ellonen et al 2008, Mainardi and Zgraggen 2010, Mitchell et al 2007a, Wolak et al 2008), adolescents (Baumgartner et al 2010, Ellonen et al 2008, Livingstone et al 2011, Wolak et al 2004), youngsters with lower education (De Graaf and Vanwesenbeeck 2006), teenagers who identify themselves as homosexual or those with unclear sexual orientation (Wolak et al 2004) are at a higher risk of experiencing Internetrelated sexual abuse. Personal behavioural factors such as frequent Internet use (De Graaf & Vanwesenbeeck 2006, Mitchell et al 2001, Stahl and Fritz 2002, Wolak et al 2008, Ybarra et al 2004), online risk-taking behaviour (ACPI/PROTEGELES 2002, Mitchell et al 2001, Mitchell et al 2008, Stahl and Fritz 2002), and substance use (Ybarra et al 2004) may also increase the chance of a young person becoming a victim of Internet-related sexual abuse. Another group of individual risk factors is related to personal traumatic experiences and emotional situations. According to the research data, youth (especially girls) with a history of offline sexual or physical abuse (De Graaf & Vanwesenbeeck 2006, Mitchell et al 2007b, Wolak et al 2008) and youth suffering from depression (such as sadness, emptiness or concentration problems) (Ybarra et al 2004) are at greater risk of online sexual solicitation. Even though a number of researches (Kvam 2001, Sullivan & Knutson 2000, SISO & SUS 2007) have shown that children with disabilities are more often exposed to sexual abuse, it is still not clear if these children are at greater risk of online sexual violence. A group of environmental risk factors includes: single-parents or reconstituted families (e.g. Gallagher 2007), homelessness or runaways (e.g. Regional… 2008), higher household socio-economic status (Livingstone et al 2011, Mitchell et al 2003), the lack of close parental relationships (ICAA 2004, Sørensen 2007), as well as lower levels of parental control (De Graaf & Vanwesenbeeck 2006, Mitchell et al 2003). In a few studies, resilience in relation to young people’s online behaviour was specifically focused upon. It was found that young people could use a number of strategies to reduce the risks of negative repercussions when meeting online friends in real life. These included informing their parents (e.g. Livingstone et al 2011) or friends (Bauermeister et al 2010) about the meeting, arranging meetings in public places and trying to get to know an online friend better before meeting them offline (Bauermeister et al 2010). When negatively affected by online contact (sexual messages, bullying, sexual images), children could use the following strategies: hope that the problem would go away by itself, report the problem, change their filter/contact settings, delete any messages from the person or block the person, try to fix the problem, talk to someone about the problem or stop using the Internet temporarily (Livingstone at al 2011). In addition to the growing impact the role of the Internet is having on children’s lives, researchers are specifically discussing the problem of merged online/offline environments (e.g. Lansdown 2011, Levina et al 2011). The online environment provides young people with more opportunities for accessing information, self-expression, self-promotion, social role experimentation and communication. It has becoming an integral part of their life where the boundary between online and offline experiences is vanishing. At the same time, offline safety rules and behaviour patterns are not always applicable to the online environment, and children’s online activities are to a lesser extent controlled by parents. It may seems obvious that there is a need for online behaviour education; we have to teach our children safe and correct use of information and communication technologies and improve parent’s ability to effectively control the online activities of their children1. However, there are still some aspects of child online sexual violence that have not been studied sufficiently. In particular, we do not clearly understand the child’s role in establishing and developing online relations with people who may potentially harm them in the future. Do children take the initiative themselves? Do they actively seek new friends and contacts online? What is their response to unwanted approaches? How do young people identify individuals that pose a risk of online sexual violence? Do they think that they are at risk themselves? Which strategies do young people usually use to stay safe online? Do young people perceive their world as undivided or do borders between the online and offline world still exist? Are there any groups of young people who are at greater risk of online sexual violence then others (such as GLBT, young people with disabilities, young people in residential care etc.)? And if so are there any differences between these groups in how they establish agency in a virtual world, negotiate online relationships, identify risks, stay safe online and distinguish between the online and physical world? The project ROBERT, Risktaking Online Behaviour Empowerment through Research and Training, is one attempt to answer some of the above questions. This project intends to make online interaction safe for children and young people. This project is implemented from June 2010 to June 2012, and is funded by the European Commission Safer Internet Programme as a Knowledge Enhancement Project. It is managed and coordinated by the CBSS Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at risk, EGCC, in partnership with the University of Tartu (Estonia), Linköping University (Sweden), University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), Save the Children Denmark, Save the Children Italia, Innocence in Danger (Germany), Stellit International (the Netherlands and Russia) and Kingston University (UK). As a part of the project, focus groups with young people, some of whom may be considered to be more at risk of online abuse (young people in residential care, young people that are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender and young people with some form of disability), as well as with young people from the general population were interviewed in 2011–2012 in Denmark, United Kingdom, Sweden, Estonia, Italy, Germany and Russia. The aim of the focus group interviews was to obtain qualitative information about adolescent’s online behaviour, their need to socialize, communicate and discover themselves and the world and particularly those behaviours that lead to risktaking and their possible links with sexual victimization, while examining the strategies they use to avoid victimization itself. The issues that were discussed with children and explored with focus groups could be summarized in three main thematic areas: 1) characteristics of Internet use; 2) characteristics of online communication and its impact on the life of young people; 3) staying safe online. The results obtained from the focus groups are presented in the report. The chapter “Methodological issues” includes a glossary and a brief overview of focus groups and framework analysis. Particular attention is paid to the issue of ensuring quality in qualitative research. Issues such as sampling, procedures and data analysis are described. In the chapter “Research results” five main themes which were identified across the focus groups are examined: Establishing agency in a virtual world; Negotiating online relationships; Distinguishing between in-groups and out-groups; Safety online; Delineating between merged realities. Details: Child Centre (The Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk; ROBERT Project, EU Safer Internet Programme, 2012. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed july 23, 2012 at: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/ROBERT_Focus_grups_report_wr.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/ROBERT_Focus_grups_report_wr.pdf Shelf Number: 125744 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual AbusePornographySocial Networking |
Author: Ainsaar, Mare Title: Online Behaviour Related to Child Sexual Abuse: Literature Report Summary: Young people today grow up in a technology-mediated world with almost unlimited access to games, music and film, not to mention the enormous array of contacts with other youth all over the world facilitated by the Internet. This opens tremendous possibilities that were unimaginable only half a generation ago. While such availability would uniformly be seen as positive, there are increasingly concerns about the problems access to technology might bring for young people. While the overwhelming majority of children and young people navigate safely through the Information and Communication Technologies, some children fall victim to abuse and to violence. While there is concern across different countries about online solicitation and grooming, there have been very few analyses to date that have explored how these contacts occur and what maintains these online relationships in the face of highly sexualised content. The ROBERT project intends to make online interaction safe for children and young people. This will be achieved by learning from experiences of online abuse processes and the factors that make young people vulnerable as well as those that offer protection. As part of the ROBERT project a systematic review of studies, with a specific focus on sexually abusive online experiences and offline sexual abuse that have started with an online contact or where the contacts between the perpetrator and the young person have relied heavily on information and communication technologies has been made. This report will cover also some issues of specific interest as we discuss young people who are at risk of sexual abuse in connection with information and communication technologies and seek answers questions as follows: I What patterns can be observed from the review on a European level that relate to areas of concern across different countries? II How do different data collection methods impact on the type and the quality of the data obtained? (For example, telephone interviews, paper based surveys responded to in class-room settings, online questionnaires etc). III When compared with other research on difficult and sensitive issues involving young persons, what is indicated in relation to disclosure and how does this compare with official statistics? IV Which behavioural patterns and risks seem to differentiate between specific groups of young people? (e.g. in relation to gender or sexual orientation). V Are there any reports that explore the perception of the young person with regard to the expression of their sexuality online and their interpretation of abusive practices? VI What studies have examined specific behavioural patterns that can be seen as leading from online contact to abusive experiences? VII How can we understand resilience in relation to young people’s online behaviour? VIII Do the reports indicate new emerging research needs as yet uncovered? IX What are the individual risk factors, or risks related to the environment, leading to sexually abusive experiences? X How have the complex ethical issues in involving children been negotiated across studies? Relevant publications were added to a publications database, set up as a part of the project. The emphasis of the work was on collecting information on publications related to online sexual abuse issues from 20 EU countries and Russia, but also publications from other parts of the world have been included if information was available to the project partners. The current report is the first analysis of literature collected by the ROBERT project in the database. The report consists of four major topics: 1. Methodological issues including regional and methodological coverage of online child sexual violence literature 2. Research evidence in to behavioural patterns which lead to becoming a victim of sexual abuse including risk factors of becoming a victim of sexual abuse 3. Behavioural patterns which lead to becoming a sexual abuser and sexually abusive behaviours including risk factors which lead to becoming a sexual abuser and sexually abusive behaviours 4. Specific behavioural patterns and risks of becoming a victim of abuse in relation to particular groups The database on Internet related child sexual abuse literature is available for public use on the Child Centre webpage www.childcentre.info/ROBERT. Details: Child Centre (The Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk; ROBERT Project, EU Safer Internet Programme, 2012. 122p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 24, 2012 at: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/Online_behaviour_related_to_sexual_abuse.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/Online_behaviour_related_to_sexual_abuse.pdf Shelf Number: 125757 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual Abuse |
Author: Dawson, Catherine J. Title: Perspectives on the Capacity of the Canadian Police System to Respond to "Child Pornography" on the Internet Summary: The Internet, its affordability, accessibility, and anonymity provide new venues where child exploitation crimes have increased. An exponential rise in the exchange of images of sexual abuse, commonly referred to as ‘child pornography’, has occurred. The purpose of this major paper was to explore this phenomenon within an international context, and assess the capacity of Canadian law enforcement (national and municipal) to respond. In order to do so a survey was sent to police departments across Canada, to have officers identify the challenges they faced in responding to images of child abuse on the Internet, and to solicit officers’ general opinions on this issue. The research resulted in five key findings that implied that existing capacity gaps were rooted in a lack of applied or ratified international agreements and commitments, a failure of system interoperability, a lack of effective private-public partnerships, and the weaknesses in current Canadian legislation, particular to mandated reporting of suspicious content (which is now under review). Finally, a lack of appropriate, accessible support and training for police was identified. Informed by the research, the author makes several recommendations. Details: Abbotsford, B.C. : University of the Fraser Valley, 2009. 107p. Source: Internet Resource: Master's Essay: Accessed July 30, 2012 at: http://www.ufv.ca/Assets/BC+Centres+(CRIM)/Safe+Schools/Research+Papers/Dawson_-_Responding_to_Internet_Child_Pornography.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Canada URL: http://www.ufv.ca/Assets/BC+Centres+(CRIM)/Safe+Schools/Research+Papers/Dawson_-_Responding_to_Internet_Child_Pornography.pdf Shelf Number: 125798 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet Crimes (Canada)Policing the Internet |
Author: Finklea, Kristin M. Title: Cybercrime: Conceptual Issues for Congress and U.S. Law Enforcement Summary: Twenty-first century criminals increasingly rely on the Internet and advanced technologies to further their criminal operations. These criminals can easily leverage the Internet to carry out traditional crimes such as distributing illicit drugs and sex trafficking. In addition, they exploit the digital world to facilitate crimes that are often technology driven, including identity theft, payment card fraud, and intellectual property theft. Cybercrimes have economic, public health, and national security implications, among others. For over three decades, Congress has been concerned about cybercrime and its related threats. Today, these concerns often arise among a larger discussion surrounding the federal government’s role in ensuring U.S. cyber security. Conceptualizing cybercrime involves a number of key elements and questions that include where do the criminal acts exist in the real and digital worlds (and what technologies are involved in carrying out the crimes), why are malicious activities initiated, and who is involved in carrying out the malicious acts? • One way of viewing cybercrimes is that they may be digital versions of traditional, real world offenses. They could be considered traditional, or “real world,” crimes if not for the incorporated element of virtual or cyberspace. In some instances, however, it may seem that law enforcement struggles to keep up with developments in the virtual world, which transform routine activities once driven by paper records in the real world. As a result, criminals are often prosecuted using laws intended to combat crimes in the real world. • The distinction between cybercrime and other malicious acts in the virtual realm is the actor’s motivation. Cyber criminals can exhibit a wide range of self interests, deriving profit, notoriety, and/or gratification from activities such as hacking, cyber stalking, and online child pornography. Without knowing the criminal intent or motivation, however, some activities of cyber criminals and other malicious actors may appear on the surface to be similar, causing confusion as to whether a particular action should be categorized as cybercrime or not. When referring to cybercrime incidents, terms such as cyber attack, cyber espionage, and cyber war are often loosely applied, and they may obscure the motives of the actors involved. • Criminal attribution is a key delineating factor between cybercrime and other cyber threats. When investigating a given threat, law enforcement is challenged with tracing the action to its source and determining whether the actor is a criminal or whether the actor may be a terrorist or state actor posing a potentially greater national security threat. This is highlighted by examining the online collective known as Anonymous. Some refer to Anonymous as a group of online activists, others see the collective as a group of criminal actors, and still others have likened it to online insurgents. The U.S. government does not appear to have an official definition of cybercrime that distinguishes it from crimes committed in what is considered the real world. Similarly, there is not a definition of cybercrime that distinguishes it from other forms of cyber threats, and the term is often used interchangeably with other Internet- or technology-linked malicious acts. Federal law enforcement agencies often define cybercrime based on their jurisdiction and the crimes they are charged with investigating. And, just as there is no overarching definition for cybercrime, there is no single agency that has been designated as the lead investigative agency for combating cybercrime. Congress may question whether it is necessary to have a clear definition of what constitutes cybercrime (e.g., S. 2105, S. 3414) and what delineates it from other real world and cyber threats. On one hand, if the purpose of defining cybercrime is for investigating and prosecuting any of the various crimes under the broader cybercrime umbrella, it may be less critical to create a definition of the umbrella term and more imperative to clearly define which specific activities constitute crimes—regardless of whether they are considered real world crimes or cybercrimes. On the other hand, a distinction between cybercrime and other malicious activities may be beneficial for creating specific policies on combating the ever-expanding range of cyber threats. If government agencies and private sector businesses design strategies and missions around combating cybercrime, it may be useful to communicate a clear definition of cybercrime to those individuals who may be involved in carrying out the strategies. The United States does not have a national strategy exclusively focused on combating cybercrime. Rather, there are other, broader strategies that have cybercrime components (a selection of which are presented in the Appendix). Policymakers may question whether there should be a distinct strategy for combating cybercrime or whether efforts to control these crimes are best addressed through more wide-ranging strategies such as those targeting cyber security or transnational organized crime. Congress may also question whether these broader strategies provide specific cybercrime-related objectives and clear means to achieve these goals. Comprehensive data on cybercrime incidents and their impact are not available, and without exact numbers on the current scope and prevalence of cybercrime, it is difficult to evaluate the magnitude of the threats posed by cyber criminals. There are a number of issues that have prevented the accurate measurement and tracking of cybercrime. For one, the lack of a clear sense of what constitutes cybercrime presents a barrier to tracking inclusive cybercrime data. Additionally, much of the available data on cybercrime is self-reported, and individuals or organizations may not realize a cybercrime has taken place or may elect—for a host of reasons— not to report it. Policymakers may debate whether to direct a thorough evaluation of the threats posed by cyber criminals. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2012. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: R42547: Accessed August 3, 2012 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42547.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42547.pdf Shelf Number: 125858 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimes (U.S.)Internet Crimes |
Author: Gendarmerie Nationale Title: Prospective Analysis on Trends in Cybercrime from 2011 to 2020 Summary: Cybercrime evolves and grows over time, as new information and communication technologies (ICT) are introduced. Everyone involved in the fight against cybercrime need to understand it in order to anticipate their actions. Twenty-two experts contributed to a prospective study on the decade from 2011 to 2020, based on an iterative process of electronic consultations, using the Delphi method and an open-ended questionnaire based on an ad hoc model. Their combined analyses made it possible to form a consensus on the trends and changes affecting cybercrime between now and 2020, through a discussion of the threats, attacks, authors, victims, and measures designed to keep information, government services, business and individual security and to provide a national defence in order to protect basic services, critical systems, and vital infrastructures. The dissemination of the results of the study is intended to encourage discussion on the strategies and resources to be implemented by decision-makers. For this purpose, it was presented during the 4th Upper Rhine Forum on Cyberthreats FRC2011, held at ENA (Ecole Nationale d’Administration) in Strasbourg, France, on 9th November 2011, on the topic "Cyberthreats at the horizon 2020", organized by the Région de Gendarmerie d'Alsace and the reserve officers (RC) of the Gendarmerie Nationale. Details: Santa Clara, CA: McAfee, 2011. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 11, 2012 at: http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/white-papers/wp-trends-in-cybercrime-2011-2020.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/white-papers/wp-trends-in-cybercrime-2011-2020.pdf Shelf Number: 126295 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeInternet Crimes |
Author: Global Agenda Council on Organized Crime Title: Organized Crime Enablers Summary: The Global Agenda Council on Organized Crime focused on the enablers of organized crime during the 2011-2012 term. This broad concept includes individuals, mechanisms and situations that play an important role in facilitating organized crime activities – whether intentionally or inadvertently – increasing its benefits and scale while reducing its risks. Organized crime exacts a multibillion cost on legitimate business, distorts markets and causes widespread ill-effects on society. Fuelled by the same forces of globalization that have expanded trade, communications and information worldwide, criminal syndicates now have unprecedented reach not only into the lives of ordinary people but into the affairs of multinational companies and governments worldwide. Although law enforcement has long focused on criminal gangs and illicit markets, only recently has it paid greater attention to those factors that enable such activities. This report focuses on the impact of enablers on three critical areas: cybercrime, money laundering and Free Trade Zones. In developing this report, the Council on Organized Crime took into account two main criteria: – continuity with its work in 2010-2011 on cybercrime and on money laundering in real estate – input received by Council on Organized Crime Members during virtual meetings and at the Summit on the Global Agenda in Abu Dhabi in October 2011 Details: Cologny/Geneva Switzerland: World Economic Forum, 2012. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2012 at: http://transcrime.cs.unitn.it/tc/fso/pubblicazioni/AP/GAC_Organized_Crime_2307_light_july.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://transcrime.cs.unitn.it/tc/fso/pubblicazioni/AP/GAC_Organized_Crime_2307_light_july.pdf Shelf Number: 126325 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimesInternet CrimesMoney LaunderingOrganized Crime |
Author: KPMG, Assurance & Advisory Services Center Title: E-Commerce and Cyber Crime: New Strategies for Managing the Risks of Exploitation Summary: At the turn of the millennium, one would be hard-pressed to find a competitive and thriving organisation that does not rely upon communications and other information technologies as an enabler of its activities. No longer incidental to the workings of an organisation, technology is integral to business today. At the same time, however, the very “digital nervous system,” as Bill Gates terms it, that enables and improves our lives at work and at home also creates enormous new risks, many of which organisations may not perceive or have not yet considered. The complexity of modern enterprises, their reliance on technology, and the heightened interconnectivity among organisations that is both a result and a driver of e-business— these are rapidly evolving developments that create widespread opportunities for theft, fraud, and other forms of exploitation by offenders both outside and inside an organisation. With the growth of e-business, internal and external perpetrators can exploit traditional vulnerabilities in seconds. They can also take advantage of new weaknesses—in the software and hardware architectures that now form the backbone of most organisations. In a networked environment, such crimes can be committed on a global basis from almost any location in the world, and they can significantly affect an organisation’s overall well-being. As businesses grow and partner, systems become increasingly sophisticated and less dependent on human intervention. Monitoring individual behaviour becomes more difficult (though certainly more important); and vulnerability to electronic crime grows as organisations are increasingly connected to, and reliant on, individuals and systems they do not directly control. Most organisations are alert to the risks posed by electronic viruses such as the May 2000 “I Love You” virus, which spawned a number of derivative viruses and is estimated to have cost businesses and governments upward of $10 billion dollars. Many, however, remain unaware of the extent to which they can be harmed by a wide variety of cyber misbehaviour that may originate with their own employees or partners. As organisations develop and refine their e-business strategies, they need to consider the issues that influence the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their data. In this context, they need to know how they can be affected by the new risks of e-crime and how inadequate preparation could leave them open to an attack that could easily diminish the value of their businesses. This white paper focuses on how organisations can use a comprehensive cyber defence program to turn e-crime preparedness into a new competitive advantage. It describes the business risks now evolving rapidly in the electronic marketplace. It discusses how some attacks take place as well as how some organisations are beginning to protect themselves, both to deter and respond to attacks and to avert further damage once an exploitation has taken place. Finally, this document examines how the scope and nature of e-crime is expected to change and how organisations can prepare to meet those new challenges. Details: New York: KPMG, 2000. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2012 at http://www.uazuay.edu.ec/bibliotecas/e-marketing/E-Commerce%20and%20Cyber%20Crime.pdf Year: 2000 Country: United States URL: http://www.uazuay.edu.ec/bibliotecas/e-marketing/E-Commerce%20and%20Cyber%20Crime.pdf Shelf Number: 126333 Keywords: Computer CrimesCosts of CrimeCybercrimesCybersecurity |
Author: Insurance Council of Australia Title: E-Commerce Crime and Vandalism - Defence Plan for the General Insurance Industry Summary: Industry groups and individual insurance companies generally have risk management processes and operational contingency plans in place. The recommended approach for e-commerce crime and vandalism is to review and, where appropriate, strengthen these plans for specific issues related to e-commerce. This document provides key points on a framework for an e-commerce crime and vandalism defence plan. It is structured to: • Raise awareness of e-commerce crime in the general insurance industry. • Provide a general overview relating to e-commerce crime issues. • Provide a general risk management model and to refer insurers to useful sources of information on security management. Information in this document is relevant as at 3 July 2001. Details: Sydney: Insurance Council of Australia, 2011. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2012 at: http://www.imia.com/downloads/external_papers/EP01_2002.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.imia.com/downloads/external_papers/EP01_2002.pdf Shelf Number: 126487 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer SecurityE-Commerce (Australia)Internet Security |
Author: Rimer, Jonah Title: Literature Review - Responding to Child & Youth Victims of Sexual Exploitation on the Internet Summary: The sexual exploitation of children on the internet is a pertinent issue that has emerged to the forefront of society since the mainstream popularization of the internet in the mid 1990’s. Sexual exploitation on the internet is a concept encompassing three major forms of maltreatment against children: child pornography; child luring/unwanted sexual solicitation; and child prostitution/child sex tourism. When discussing these forms of abuse, as well as online sexual exploitation in general, there are many facets that must be taken into consideration. These include definitional issues of each form of abuse; characteristics of offenders and victims; the treatment of offenders; issues within law and law enforcement; advances in technology used by victims, perpetrators, and those combating online abuse; discoveries in scientific research that may increase the understanding of online abusers; an exploration of prevention efforts; a discussion of the relationship between child pornography, pedophilia, and contact offenses; and victim issues and responding to the needs of victims. These will be the significant themes and perspectives explored to summarize the key literature on the subject of the exploitation of children and youth on the internet. Details: Toronto: Boost Child Abuse Prevention & Intervention, 2007. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Prepared for the “Responding to Child & Youth Victims of Sexual Exploitation on the Internet” Training Seminar. September 24th to 27th, 2007. Blue Mountain Resort, Collingwood, Ontario, Canada; Accessed October 9, 2012 at: http://www.boostforkids.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=9o%2BhPW9lg6s%3D&tabid=166 Year: 2007 Country: International URL: http://www.boostforkids.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=9o%2BhPW9lg6s%3D&tabid=166 Shelf Number: 126663 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProstitutionChild Sex TourismChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet Crimes |
Author: Ospina, Maria Title: Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth Over the Internet: A Rapid Review of the Scientific Literature Summary: The role of the Internet in the health and wellbeing of children and youth is just beginning to emerge as a priority topic in the public health research agenda. Public policy attention has recently focused on the impact of this medium on the attitudes, behaviour, and health of young people. Among the potential risks, the sexual exploitation and abuse of children and youth over the Internet is of substantial concern. Children and youth can be abused over the Internet in many ways: Internet-initiated grooming for purposes of sexual abuse (that is, online sexual solicitation), the possession, production, and distribution of Internet-based abuse images of children and youth, Internet-based receipt by children and youth of abuse images, and Internet-initiated incitement of or conspiracy to commit sexual abuse of children and youth through activities such as sex tourism and prostitution. These Internet-related sexual exploitation activities directly or indirectly result in offline situations of sexual abuse directed toward children. The need exists to identify the most vulnerable population of children and youth who are at risk of online sexual exploitation over the Internet, and to determine whether prevention and intervention programs for online sexual exploitation have been evaluated in the scientific literature. The objectives of this rapid review were: 1) to provide a descriptive overview and synthesis of information regarding the state of research on the frequency, effects, and risk factors for sexual exploitation of children and youth over the Internet; 2) to identify and evaluate the evidence available in the scientific literature on the assessment tools for children and youth who have been sexually exploited via the Internet; 3) to identify and evaluate the evidence available in the scientific literature on the safety, efficacy, effectiveness, economic, social, legal, or ethical aspects of prevention and therapeutic strategies for sexual exploitation of children and youth via the Internet; and 4) to map the health care, educational, and community resources available in Alberta and Canada regarding Internet safety and prevention of child and youth abuse and exploitation via the Internet. Details: Edmonton, AB, Canada: Institute of Health Economics, 2010. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2012 at: http://www.ihe.ca/documents/Online%20Sexual%20Exploitation.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.ihe.ca/documents/Online%20Sexual%20Exploitation.pdf Shelf Number: 126666 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesPornographySex Tourism |
Author: Koleva, Desislava Title: Comprehensive Response to Child Pornography: Thematic Study on the System for Prevention of Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in Bulgaria Summary: This study set out to explore the existing system and practices in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe for prevention and fighting child pornography. In the course of work the authors identified the need to provide an overview of the subject of online sexual exploitation and abuse of children and not just its manifestation in child pornography production and distribution. The Comprehensive Response to Child Pornography project is implemented by Save the Children Norway SEE Regional Office in cooperation with the Office of the State Coordinator for Anti-trafficking in Human Beings and Illegal Immigration in Bosnia and Herzegovina which invested financial and human resources in addressing this problem. The project is also financially supported by OAK Foundation. This study was conducted by the Centre for Inclusive Education which is partnering Save the Children in the first phase of the project with the main task to provide an overview of the situation in Bulgaria and identify and recommend good practices. The overarching goal of this study is to present a comprehensive perspective to the problem of sexual exploitation and abuse of children in cyberspace by outlining the main aspects and consequences of this crime, analyzing what has been achieved and what else can be done to improve the coordination of the fragmented approach taken so far. The specific objectives of the study were as following: - to study the existing system, procedures and capacities for prevention and fighting online sexual abuse and exploitation of children through child pornography in Bulgaria; - to understand and, if possible, suggest recommendations for addressing the challenges and improving the system; - to identify good practices that can be adopted and transferred by civil society organizations and public authorities in BiH. Why focusing on child pornography? The partners in this project have recognized that crimes against children are changing because of the advance in technology, particularly the Internet and information and communication technologies (ICTs). For the past decade most efforts have been focused on anti-child trafficking systems while also touching on other often accompanying manifestations of child sexual exploitation. Child trafficking for sexual purposes and prostitution are undoubtedly priority areas for prevention work in SEE countries. However, the spread of online sexual exploitation, including child pornography, through the advancement of ICTs which has been so far not in the spot light, should also be addressed as a priority in child protection policies. This research focuses on online sexual exploitation of children in its manifestation through child pornography materials but discusses also other ensuing aspects and dangers of the use of such materials in ‘grooming’ or enticing children over the Internet for sexually-oriented interactions that often spill over from cyberspace into real life. It attempts to present a more comprehensive picture of the harms involved in the exposure or involvement of children with child pornography. It argues that child pornography is not less harmful than physical violation. Child pornography is a fundamental abuse, not just a by-product of physical sexual abuse. Recent studies suggest that the use of children to make pornography ‘adds value’ to a commercial sexual exchange and assists in facilitating a child’s submission into other forms of commercial sex or sexual abuse. Early desktop study of official documents and research of secondary sources revealed a lack of up-todate data and scarce analysis materials regarding the situation and existing practices with regards to online sexual exploitation of children in Bulgaria. Despite these limitations, sufficient information was gathered to provide a broad overview of the situation in the country. The field research and round table discussion proved to be invaluable for analysis. They also served as a measure for validating information as different actors offered their perspective based on their practice. While the recommendations and main findings of this study are aimed primarily at Bulgarian and BiH civil society actors and decision makers, they will also be disseminated to relevant stakeholders and the broader public in order to achieve involvement and support of society in the fight against this form of child abuse. Details: Oslo: Centre for Exclusive Education & Save the Children Norway, 2009. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed october 11, 2012 at: http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/content/library/documents/comprehensive-response-child-pornography-thematic-study-system-prevention- Year: 2009 Country: Bulgaria URL: http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/content/library/documents/comprehensive-response-child-pornography-thematic-study-system-prevention- Shelf Number: 126679 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual Exploitation (Bulgaria)Computer CrimesInternet Crimes |
Author: British Retail Consortium Title: Future Online Security: Tackling eCrime and Fraud Summary: The growth of e-commerce and corresponding opportunities for increasing fraudulent behaviour should not be underestimated. Retailers need to be sure that as they seek to expand their businesses via e-commerce the customers they attract will be well protected. Retailers invest significant resources in protecting their customers. But too often, the current law enforcement response to eCrime and fraud is inadequate. The BRC is calling for a dedicated national unit tasked to investigate and respond to the increasing levels of eCrime. Engagement between the private sector and law enforcement agencies should be focused on finding the most effective way to achieve a better response to eCrime and fraud. The focus must be on finding ways in which the public and private sectors can work more effectively together to reduce the level of offending and to raise consumer confidence. The value of internet retailing in 2009 was £18.5 billion. The value for 2010 to date (January to the end of October 2010) was £17 billion. This was a 21 per cent increase when compared to the same period in 2009. The BRC has undertaken this study to ensure that this important growth area of the economy is adequately policed and protected. Details: London: British Retail Consortium, 2010. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 14, 2012 at http://www.brc.org.uk/trct/downloads/Future%20Online%20Security.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.brc.org.uk/trct/downloads/Future%20Online%20Security.pdf Shelf Number: 126699 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer FraudCybercrimesInternet Crime |
Author: Madsen, Sanne Title: Internet the Dangers and the Possibilities -- A Study about Swedish and Danish Teenagers’ Internet Habits Summary: When unknown things, (e.g. a new media) first emerge on the market it is often defined as a threat to the society’s values. This phenomenon is called moral panic and seems to be happening right now due to the diffusion of the Internet. Many times teenagers find themselves in the middle of disturbing situations. There are also concerns in the society that the Internet makes teenagers antisocial. Teenagers of today have been growing up with the Internet as a part of their daily life. Therefore we want to discover how this media affects them. We also want to find out if there are any differences and similarities in how Swedish and Danish teenagers use the Internet. In addition, we are interested to find out if there are any differences in how girls and boys use the media. We have done a quantitative research study where we used questionnaires. The questionnaires included 27 questions concerning Internet habits. The questionnaires were handed out to two schools, Bergaskolan in Sweden and Frederikssunds Private Realskole in Denmark. The students were in the age group 14 to 17 and went in grade 7, 8 and 9. We received 329 questionnaires and based our research on those answers. We didn’t find any major differences between the Swedish and the Danish students Internet habits. However, Swedish students seem to chat more than the Danish students. It is also common for both Swedish and Danish teenagers to have experienced something disturbing on Internet. In addition it is also common among the teenagers not to tell their parents about the incidents they frequently experiences while being online. We found some differences between the genders Internet habits. For example, the girls tend to use the Internet as an information tool whereas the boys use it as an entertainment provider. Details: Lund University Department of Sociology Media and Communication Studies, 2004. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2012 at: http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=1357519&fileOId=1357520 Year: 2004 Country: Europe URL: http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=1357519&fileOId=1357520 Shelf Number: 126732 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet (Sweden, Denmark)Internet CrimesMediaMoral Panics |
Author: Dupont, Benoit Title: Skills and Trust: A Tour Inside the Hard Drives of Computer Hackers Summary: Stories of the exploits of computer hackers who have broken into supposedly secure government and corporate information systems appear almost daily on the front pages of newspapers and technology websites, yet we know very little about the individuals behind these headlines. Most media accounts and academic studies on hackers suffer from a number of biases that this research attempts to overcome. A case study based on the seized communication logs of ten confirmed co-offenders is used to expand our knowledge of the social norms and practices that govern interactions between malicious hackers. After presenting the data and how the material became available to the author, the remaining sections focus on the two variables that define this criminal network’s performance: skills and trust. The skills under consideration are the three different sets of cognitive and practical abilities that malicious hackers need in order to succeed financially. Monetization and social skills, in addition to technical skills, play key roles in profit-oriented malicious hacking and explain why earning a decent living in the computer underground remains a laborious endeavour, even for advanced hackers. Trust, which facilitates the diffusion of technical, monetization, and social skills and fosters collaboration, was found to be much lower in this network than is generally assumed in the literature. The need for monetization and social skills as well as the lack of trust between members may partly explain why hacker networks are so ephemeral and vulnerable to law enforcement disruption. Details: Montreal: School of Criminology, University of Montreal, 2012. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2012 at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2154952 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2154952 Shelf Number: 126746 Keywords: Computer CrimesHackersInternet CrimesOnline VictimizationSocial Network Analysis |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Title: The Use of the Internet for Terrorist Purposes Summary: The use of the Internet for terrorist purposes is a rapidly growing phenomenon, requiring a proactive and coordinated response from Member States. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) plays a key role in providing assistance to Member States, in furtherance of its mandate to strengthen the capacity of national criminal justice systems to implement the provisions of the international legal instruments against terrorism, and does so in compliance with the principles of rule of law and international human rights standards. In particular, in 2011, the General Assembly, in its resolution 66/178, reaffirmed the mandate of UNODC to continue to develop specialized legal knowledge in the area of counter-terrorism and pertinent thematic areas, including the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes. Despite increasing international recognition of the threat posed by terrorists’ use of the Internet in recent years, there is currently no universal instrument specifically addressing this pervasive facet of terrorist activity. Moreover, there is limited specialized training available on the legal and practical aspects of the investigation and prosecution of terrorism cases involving the use of the Internet. The present publication complements the existing resources developed by UNODC in the areas of counter-terrorism, cybercrime and rule of law. It also addresses the importance of developing integrated, specialized knowledge to respond to the technical assistance needs of Member States in combating this continually evolving threat. UNODC is deeply grateful for the generous support of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which made the publication of that work possible. The publication, which is intended for use both as a stand-alone resource and in support of the capacity-building initiatives of UNODC, is aimed at providing guidance regarding current legal frameworks and practice at the national and international levels relating to the criminalization, investigation and prosecution of terrorist cases involving the Internet. Terrorism, in all its manifestations, affects us all. The use of the Internet to further terrorist purposes disregards national borders, amplifying the potential impact on victims. By highlighting cases and best practices that respond to this unique challenge, the present publication has two aims: first, to promote a better understanding of the ways in which communications technologies may be misused in furtherance of acts of terrorism and, second, to increase collaboration among Member States, so that effective criminal justice responses to this transnational challenge can be developed. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2012. 158p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 25, 2012 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/frontpage/Use_of_Internet_for_Terrorist_Purposes.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/frontpage/Use_of_Internet_for_Terrorist_Purposes.pdf Shelf Number: 126804 Keywords: Computer CrimesCounter-TerrorismInternet CrimesTerrorism |
Author: Great Britain. Comptroller and Auditor General Title: The UK Cyber Security Strategy: Landscape Review Summary: A National Audit Office review of the Government’s strategy for cyber security indicates that, although it is at an early stage, activities are already beginning to deliver benefits. The cost of cyber crime to the UK is currently estimated to be between £18 billion and £27 billion. Business, government and the public must therefore be constantly alert to the level of risk if they are to succeed in detecting and resisting the threat of cyber attack. The UK Cyber Security Strategy, published in November 2011, set out how the Government planned to deliver the National Cyber Security Programme through to 2015, committing £650 million of additional funding. Building on ten years’ experience of seeking to protect government information, systems and networks, the strategy placed greater emphasis on the role of the public and industry in helping secure the UK against attacks and also the opportunities to UK business from a growing market in cyber security. Among progress reported so far, the Serious Organised Crime Agency repatriated more than 2.3 million items of compromised card payment details to the financial sector in the UK and internationally since 2011, preventing a potential economic loss of more than £500 million. In the past year, moreover, the public reported to Action Fraud over 46,000 reports of cyber crime, amounting to £292 million worth of attempted fraud. The NAO identifies six key challenges faced by the Government in implanting its cyber security strategy in a rapidly changing environment. These are the need to influence industry to protect and promote itself and UK plc; to address the UK’s current and future ICT and cyber security skills gap; to increase awareness so that people are not the weakest link; to tackle cyber crime and enforce the law; to get government to be more agile and joined-up; and to demonstrate value for money. The NAO recognizes, in particular, that there are some challenges in establishing the value for money of the cyber security strategy. There is the conceptual problem that, if cyber attacks do not occur, it will be difficult to establish the extent to which that was down to the success of the strategy. There is also the challenge of determining the relative contribution to overall success or otherwise of different components of the strategy. And there is the challenge of assigning a value to the overall outcome, to set against the cost of the strategy. The Government has work underway to measure the benefits of the strategy. The report is designed to set the scene in an area likely to be of continuing interest to the Committee of Public Accounts. Although the Committee has not specifically examined the issue of cyber security, it raised concerns about cyber security in relation to the government’s plans for smart meters, which will enable energy suppliers to collect meter readings over the internet, as well as pointing to a lack of detail on cyber security plans in the Government’s 2011 ICT strategy. Details: London: National Audit Office, 2013. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 15, 2013 at: http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1213/cyber_security.aspx Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1213/cyber_security.aspx Shelf Number: 127624 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyber SecurityCybercrime (U.K.) |
Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office' Wilhausen, Gregory C. Title: Cybersecurity: National Strategy, Roles, and Responsibilities Need to Be Better Defined and More Effectively Implemented Summary: Cyber attacks could have a potentially devastating impact on the nation’s computer systems and networks, disrupting the operations of government and businesses and the lives of private individuals. Increasingly sophisticated cyber threats have underscored the need to manage and bolster the cybersecurity of key government systems as well as the nation’s critical infrastructure. GAO has designated federal information security as a government-wide high-risk area since 1997, and in 2003 expanded it to include cyber critical infrastructure. GAO has issued numerous reports since that time making recommendations to address weaknesses in federal information security programs as well as efforts to improve critical infrastructure protection. Over that same period, the executive branch has issued strategy documents that have outlined a variety of approaches for dealing with persistent cybersecurity issues. GAO’s objectives were to (1) identify challenges faced by the federal government in addressing a strategic approach to cybersecurity, and (2) determine the extent to which the national cybersecurity strategy adheres to desirable characteristics for such a strategy. To address these objectives, GAO analyzed previous reports and updated information obtained from officials at federal agencies with key cybersecurity responsibilities. GAO also obtained the views of experts in information technology management and cybersecurity and conducted a survey of chief information officers at major federal agencies. Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2013. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-13-187: Accessed February 16, 2013 at: http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/652170.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/652170.pdf Shelf Number: 127647 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer SecurityCritical Infrastructure SecurityCyber SecurityCybercrime (U.S.)Internet Crimes |
Author: Muggah, Robert Title: A Fine Balance: Mapping Cyber (in)Security in Latin America Summary: This Strategic Paper examines the character and dynamics of cyber-crime and the ways in which it is being addressed in Latin America. A particular focus is on what might be described as “new criminality” emerging in cyberspace – organized criminal hacking, identity theft, advanced credit card fraud and online child exploitation. The Paper draws on a review of the public and grey literature from more than thirty countries and interviews with dozens of experts across the sub-continent to shed light on the present cyber-security and cyber-defence architecture being erected in Latin America. Overall, it finds that Latin America exhibits a heterogeneous landscape when it comes to cyber-crime. And while all countries have witnessed a surge in cyber-crime, threats and responses tend to be clustered in specific countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cost Rica, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, where online populations and internet penetration rates are highest. This Strategic Paper finds that: • Latin American governments are only beginning to adopt laws, institutions and countermeasures to combat online criminality: At a regional level these efforts are being coordinated through the Organization of American States (OAS) and include harmonizing national legislation and adopting the Comprehensive Inter-American Strategy to Combat Threats to Cyber-Security; • Latin American country responses to cyber-crime are increasingly aligned: Most Latin American states are pursuing a 4-pillar strategy that includes: (i) the adoption of relevant legal frameworks; (ii) the creation of specialized law enforcement agencies; (iii) the formation of Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs); and (iv) the establishment of specialized units within the executive branch of government; • Latin America´s civil society plays a major – if under-valued – role in cyber-security governance: Due to the decentralized character of the internet and overlapping forms of horizontal collaboration, civil society is in some cases far ahead of governments in assessing cyber-threats and formulating responses. Internationally, a number of non-governmental entities actually control systemic features of the worldwide web such as the attribution of domain names; and • Notwithstanding its comparative strengths and real exposure to cyber-threats, the private sector is less engaged in promoting and engaging in cyber-security across Latin America: Many larger corporations in the banking and services sectors are non-transparent about the scale of the threats they are facing. Owing to their desire to avoid loss in market share, they typically adopt low-key, periodic, and restricted actions. By contrast, companies involved in information technology manufacturing and services markets are more involved in supporting digital platforms designed to raise awareness. The Strategic Paper proceeds in several sections. The first section considers the conceptual gap which frustrates coherent approaches to addressing cyber-crime. While few experts dispute the risks presented by new forms of online criminality, there are no accepted definitions of cyber-crime, making it difficult to harmonize legislation and pursue investigations requiring transnational cooperation. Section two reviews the scale and dimensions of cyber-crime in Latin America, focusing primarily on the so-called new criminality. The third section provides a general review of regional approaches to containing cyber-crime, including legal conventions, guidelines and emerging practices, while Section four examines the operational responses of governments, private sector and non-governmental organizations. The final section offers some concluding reflections on future research directions. Details: Rio de Janeiro: Igarape Institute and The SecDev Foundation, 2012. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Strategic Paper 2: Accessed March 20, 2013 at: http://igarape.org.br/wp-content/themes/igarape_v2/pdf/Strategic_Paper_02_23maio_WEB.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Central America URL: http://igarape.org.br/wp-content/themes/igarape_v2/pdf/Strategic_Paper_02_23maio_WEB.pdf Shelf Number: 128047 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyber SecurityCybercrime (Latin America)Internet Crime |
Author: Livingstone, Sonia Title: In Their Own Words: What Bothers Children Online? with the EU Kids Online Network Summary: Nearly 10,000 children told us about what upsets them and their friends online. Their responses were diverse, revealing a long list of concerns. Pornography (named by 22% of children who told us of risks) and violent content (18%) top children’s online concerns. Overall, boys appear more bothered by violence than girls, while girls are more concerned with contact-related risks. Violence receives less public attention than sexual material, but many children are concerned about violent, aggressive or gory online content. They reveal shock and disgust on seeing cruelty, killings, abuse of animals and even the news – since much is real rather than fictional violence, this adds to the depth of children’s reactions. As children told us, video-sharing websites are often associated with violent and pornographic content, along with a range of other contentrelated risks. Among the children who linked risks to specific internet platforms, 32% mentioned video-sharing sites such as YouTube, followed by websites (29%), social networking sites (13%) and games (10%). Children’s mention of risks rises markedly from nine to 12 years old. Younger children are more concerned about content and other risks. As they get older they become more concerned about conduct and contact risks. These are linked in many children’s minds to the use of social networking sites such as Facebook. Concern about risks is higher among children from ‘high use, high risk’ countries. Policy implications are identified and discussed. Details: London: London School of Economics, 2013. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 25, 2013 at: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/Intheirownwords020213.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/Intheirownwords020213.pdf Shelf Number: 128122 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetyMedia ViolenceOnline SafetyOnline VideosPornography |
Author: Hasebrink, Uwe Title: Patterns of Risk and Safety Online: In-depth analyses from the EU Kids Online survey of 9- to 16-year-olds and their parents in 25 European countries Summary: - This report is the work of the EU Kids Online network, coordinated by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), with research teams and stakeholder advisers in each of the 25 countries and an International Advisory Panel. The network has been funded by the European Commission's (EC) Safer Internet Programme in order to strengthen the evidence base for policies regarding online safety. - Countries included in EU Kids Online are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK. - The report is based on a new and unique survey of 25,000 children across Europe, and was designed and conducted according to rigorous standards by the EU Kids Online network. Top-line findings for the survey have already been reported in: Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., Gorzig, A. and Olafsson, K. (2011) Risks and safety on the internet: The perspective of European children. Full findings. - This report offers a further analysis of these survey findings, examining the patterns of use, activities, risks and safety within these 25 countries focusing on individual and group-level differences (age, gender, parental education, and so forth). - It is paired with a parallel report, published simultaneously (August 2011), Cross-national comparison of risks and safety on the internet, which examines cross-national differences in children's experiences of the internet in Europe, depending on the country they live in. - The intended audience for both reports includes researchers and research users. The reports include primary statistical analysis in order that the basis for the project's conclusions is clearly explained and accounted for. - To address policy stakeholders more widely, both reports will be followed, in September 2011, by a report discussing the policy implications of these individual and country-level comparisons of children's experiences. Details: London: London School of Economics and Political Science, 2011. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 25, 2013 at: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/D5%20Patterns%20of%20risk.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/D5%20Patterns%20of%20risk.pdf Shelf Number: 128123 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimesMediaOnline SafetyOnline Victimization |
Author: INTERPOL Environmental Crime Programme Title: Project Web: An Investigation Into the Ivory Trade Over the Internet Within the European Union Summary: INTERPOL’s Project Web was launched following studies by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which concluded that elephant ivory is the most widely traded wildlife product over the Internet. Project Web is intended to provide an initial snapshot and insight from a law enforcement perspective into the drivers, scale, nature, and involved entities of the illegal trade in ivory over the Internet. Over a period of two weeks, ten participating countries from the European Union (EU) conducted surveillance of their national auction sites to identify advertisements for ivory items. The details of 660 advertisements on 61 auction sites were analysed and estimated to have a total volume of around 4,500 kilograms of ivory and a total value of approximately EUR 1,450,000. Through analysis of its two week Internet surveillance data, Project Web found that ivory is predominantly sold by individuals residing in the country where they are selling the item, although a number of advertisements did have international links. Enforcement data from other sources was also analysed, but often could only provide a limited representative picture of the total volume of ivory illegally imported into the EU. In particular, Project Web identified through customs seizure analysis that the majority of ivory sold was in the form of worked items shipped from mainly four African countries. The ivory was predominantly traded through EU countries, with Asia as the destination. However, three EU countries and North America were also identified as common final destinations. The report also demonstrated that the enforcement of this electronic trade is in its infancy and presents new challenges. Few Internet companies have policies governing the sale of ivory, and those that do have weaknesses in enforcing their own regulations. Law enforcement participants also identified a lack of legislation as a weakness, specifically that governing the Internet trade of ivory and other wildlife products, and cited a lack of prioritisation at departmental and political levels. This can lead to the combination of a strongly profit driven illicit market with little risk of detection or prosecution. While Project Web demonstrates that the Internet is being used in the ivory trade, the extent to which the Internet is an important medium in the illegal trade cannot be conclusively determined with the existing legislation and available data. However, it is clear that specially adapted legislation and strong collaboration with customs is needed to further investigate this crime type, in order to determine the scale and nature of the illegal trade so that appropriate enforcement measures can be taken against it. To this end, the Project Web report also includes a number of recommendations to improve responses to the illegal trade of wildlife products online. Details: Washington, DC: International Fund for Animal Welfare, 2013. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2013 at: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/Project%20Web%20-%20PUBLIC.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/Project%20Web%20-%20PUBLIC.pdf Shelf Number: 128207 Keywords: Computer CrimesElephantsIllegal Wildlife TradeInternet CrimesIvoryWildlife Crimes |
Author: Livingstone, Sonia Title: Disadvantaged Children and Online Risk Summary: Educational/economic disadvantage -- 27% of children have parents with lower secondary education or less. These children report fewer online risks than average, but are more upset by risk, less skilled and less helped by parents to cope with risk. 25% of children have parents who do not use the internet. They report fewer online risks but are more upset and have few skills to cope. Their parents lack confidence, lack support from friends and family, and wish the school would guide them. 7% of children use the internet less than once per week. Again reporting fewer risks but more upsetting experiences than the average, these children‟s digital skills are lowest of all, and though their parents do not think their children well prepared to cope with the internet, they do not plan to do more than others. Psychological disadvantage -- 41% of children have parents who say they are very worried about their safety online. These children have not encountered or been upset by more risks than average. Nonetheless, their parents lack confidence, think they should do more. Children and parents have and want more safety information. 34% of children - the top third in terms of psychological difficulties report more online risks and more harm. Their parents lack confidence but are likely to have adjusted their approach after something upset their child online. 12% of children have experienced something upsetting on the internet. These children report many more risk and upsetting experiences. Their skills are above average, suggesting a readiness to learn. Their parents too have changed their approach after an upsetting experience, and wish for more safety information from all sources. Social disadvantage -- 6% of children have a mental, physical or other disability. These children report raised risk levels, and find meeting new online contacts offline more upsetting than average. Their parents are less confident that their child can cope, and they wish to receive more from ISPs and websites. 4% of children belong to a discriminated-against group. These children report more online risk. Their parents lack confidence in themselves and their children in terms of coping, receive less support from friends and family, and wish for safety information from the government. 4% of children speak a minority language at home. These children are more upset by bullying and „sexting‟. Their parents lack confidence in their and their child‟s ability to cope, they think they should do more to support their child online, and they receive less safety information from all sources than average – they prefer to get this from the child's school, from TV or friends and family. Details: London: EU Kinds Online Network, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2011. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2013 at: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20II%20(2009-11)/ShortReportDisadvantaged.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20II%20(2009-11)/ShortReportDisadvantaged.pdf Shelf Number: 128599 Keywords: Computer CrimesDisadvantaged YouthInternet Safety (U.K.) |
Author: Albury, Kath Title: Young People and Sexting in Australia: Ethics, Representation and the Law Summary: Young People and Sexting in Australia report presents the #ndings of a qualitative study of young people’s understandings of, and responses to, current Australian laws, media and educational resources that address sexting. While there are many defnitions of sexting, for the purposes of this report we are referring to the production and distribution of naked or semi-naked photographs via mobile phones and social media. The project involved a review of both international local and academic research as well as popular media addressing sexting, and a review of educational resources for young people. Three focus groups were conducted with young people aged 16 and 17 in 2012, and a working paper based on those findings was then distributed to adult stakeholders in the fields of law enforcement, youth and children’s legal support, education, criminology, media and communications, youth work, youth health care, counseling and youth health promotion. This report therefore draws on both the focus group discussions, and a workshop consultation with the adult stakeholder group. Key Findings: While focus group participants were familiar with the practice of sending naked or semi-naked pictures, the term sexting was understood as an adult or media-generated concept that did not adequately reflect young people’s everyday practices and experiences of creating and sharing digital images. Young people observed that gendered double-standards were applied to discussions of sexting, and digital self-representation in general. For example one group of young women were particularly offended that their self-portraits or selves were viewed by both peers and adults as ‘provocative’ while young men’s naked or semi-naked pictures were understood as ‘jokes’. Sample media campaigns and public education materials viewed by focus groups were rejected by some participants for failing to acknowledge young women’s capacity for consensual production and exchange of images. These participants also felt that current sexting education fails to emphasise young people’s responsibility to not share images without consent. Both young people and adult stakeholders agreed that current legal frameworks relating to sexting (particularly those that con$ate sexting with child pornography) are not widely understood by either young people or adults, and that this lack of education and awareness places young people at risk of unreasonable criminal charges. The Young People and Sexting in Australia report recommendations are presented in two major categories, (1) strategies and (2) new approaches to understanding sexting. Details: Sydney: University of New South Wales, 2013. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2013 at: http://www.cci.edu.au/sites/default/files/Young_People_And_Sexting_Final.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.cci.edu.au/sites/default/files/Young_People_And_Sexting_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 128673 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimesInternetMediaSex LawsSexting (Australia) |
Author: Levin, Avner Title: Securing Cyberspace: A Comparative Review of Strategies Worldwide Summary: Several distinct cyber-blocs have formed with their unique cyber-security strategies and emphases. The Anglosphere, led by the US and the UK, emphasizes a leading private sector role, an educated workforce, and outreach and diplomacy. The EU, led by Germany, focuses on a robust legal and regulatory framework, and on the promotion of the Council of Europe (Budapest) Convention of Cybercrime as a blueprint for international cooperation and enforcement. The Baltic States are in tight cooperation with NATO in the development of their national cyber-security strategies. The post-Soviet CIS bloc, led by Russia with some degree of Chinese cooperation, focuses on internal threats, abhors extra-territorial judicial action, and promotes a corresponding international framework under the auspices of the UN. Most cyber-strategies, with the notable exceptions of Russia, China and their allies, are compatible with Canadian interests. Strategies generally differ on the roles that they allocate to the public and private sectors, and within those, on the roles allocated to policy, regulation, for-profit and not-for profit ventures as promoters of cyber-security. Strategies also direct a wide range of resources in a variety of ways. The majority of countries reviewed are in the process of developing and implementing their cyber-security strategies, and setting the focus of their efforts. These rapidly occurring changes in strategies and policy implementation add to the challenge of determining best practices for securing cyberspace while protecting civil liberties. Information on the origin and ultimate target of many cyber-threats is contradictory due to the difficulty of pinpointing sources and destinations with ultimate certainty solely by technological means. China, for example, the current “cyber-villain” may be suffering from cybercrime more than commonly acknowledged and open to collaboration. Leading Western countries, such as the US and Germany, may not only be the target of attacks but the ultimate source of cyber-criminal activity as well. In order for Canada to proceed with its strategy in an informed manner, accurate, verifiable cybercrime data must be collected and evaluated to determine the optimal countries for collaboration. As it develops its own cyber-strategy, Canada should look to global leaders and learn from the approaches of the US, UK and Germany, that emphasize education, diplomatic outreach, private sector involvement and a legal and regulatory framework that balances cyber-security and privacy. Details: Toronto: Privacy and Cyber Crime Institute, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, 2013. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2013 at: http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/tedrogersschool/privacy/documents/Ryerson_cyber_crime_final_report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/tedrogersschool/privacy/documents/Ryerson_cyber_crime_final_report.pdf Shelf Number: 128676 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyber-SecurityCybercrimes (Canada)Internet Crimes |
Author: Hutchings, Alice Title: Cloud Computing for Small Business: Criminal and security threats and prevention measures Summary: Compared with large organisations, small businesses operate in a distinct and highly resource-constrained operating and technical environment. Their proprietors are often time poor, have minimal bargaining power and have limited financial, technical, legal and personnel resources. It is therefore unsurprising that cloud computing and its promise of smoothing cash flows and dramatically reducing ICT overheads is attractive to small business. Cloud computing shifts the delivery and maintenance of software, databases and storage to the internet, transforming them into Pay-As-You-Go services accessed through a web browser. While providing many benefits, cloud computing also brings many risks for small business, including potential computer security and criminal, regulatory and civil liability issues. This paper, undertaken as a collaborative partnership with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security at Griffith University, identifies these risks and offers a perspective on how they might be contained so that the benefits of cloud computing do not outweigh the risks for small businesses in the 21st century. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2013. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in criminal and Criminal Justice No. 456: Accessed May 29, 2013 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi/441-460/tandi456.html Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi/441-460/tandi456.html Shelf Number: 128842 Keywords: Cloud Computing (Australia)Computer CrimesComputer SecurityFinancial Crimes |
Author: Ringrose, Jessica Title: A Qualitative Study of Children, Young People and 'Sexting' Summary: Sexting has been conventionally defined as ‘exchange of sexual messages or images’ (Livingstone et al., 2011) and ‘the creating, sharing and forwarding of sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images’ (Lenhart, 2009) through mobile phones and/or the internet. The legal interest has been in under-aged sexually explicit images which are a form of child pornography. Quantitative research on sexting has found rates as wide as 15% to 40% among young people, depending on age and the way what is understood as sexting is measured. However, quantitative research alone cannot offer in-depth understandings about the nature or complexity of technologically mediated sexual expression or activity via mobile or online media. Many teenagers do not even use the term ‘sexting’ indicating a gap between adult discourse and young people’s experiences. The purpose of this small scale qualitative research was to respond to and enhance our understandings of the complex nature of sexting and the role of mobile technologies within peer teen networks. It was designed as a pilot study – to investigate a phenomenon whose nature, scale and dimensions were unknown. Thus the research itself also was small in scale and exploratory in nature and also culturally and geographically specific. We conducted focus group interviews with 35 young people years 8 and 10 in two inner city London schools. At the focus groups we asked participants to friend us on Facebook, with a research Facebook profile. We then mapped some of their activities online and returned for 22 individual interviews with selected case study young people. We also interviewed key teachers and staff at the schools. While we believe that the findings that emerged are far from unique to the two year groups studied in two schools, considerable caution is needed before making any generalisations to other groups. This also underscores the urgent need for expanding the research with a broader scoped study (outlined in policy recommendations). Details: London: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 2012. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2013 at: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resourcesforprofessionals/sexualabuse/sexting-research-report_wdf89269.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resourcesforprofessionals/sexualabuse/sexting-research-report_wdf89269.pdf Shelf Number: 128875 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimesInternetMediaSex LawsSexting (U.K.) |
Author: Jones, Lisa M. Title: Evaluation of Internet Child Safety Materials Used by ICAC Task Forces in School and Community Settings, Final Report Summary: Research Goals and Objectives: This project involves content and process evaluations of current internet safety education (ISE) program materials and their use by law enforcement presenters and schools. Despite a proliferation of internet safety programs over the last decade, there is little information that can guide law enforcement, policy makers or the public in determining which materials or delivery methods are most likely to increase children’s online safety. The design of the proposed content and process evaluation is based on the perspective that, despite widespread dissemination, internet safety education is still in a formative stage. It is not clear that ISE messages have been formulated around a careful analysis of the risk and the ways that youth experience problems online, or that they have applied research-based prevention strategies. While outcome evaluation will be critical to determining the effectiveness of internet safety programs in the future, it is important to identify problems in ISE delivery and create guidelines for developing more promising programs. Research Design and Methodology: The study was divided into four subprojects. First, a systematic review or “meta-synthesis” was conducted to identify effective elements of prevention identified by the research across different youth problem areas such as drug abuse, sex education, smoking prevention, suicide, youth violence, and school failure. The process resulted in the development of a KEEP (Known Elements of Effective Prevention) Checklist. Second, a content analysis was conducted on four of the most well-developed and long-standing youth internet safety curricula: i-SAFE, iKeepSafe, Netsmartz, and Web Wise Kids. Third, we conducted a process evaluation to better understand how internet safety education programs are being implemented. The process evaluation was conducted via national surveys with three different groups of respondents: Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force commanders (N=43), ICAC Task Force presenters (N=91), and a sample of school professionals (N=139). Finally, we developed an internet safety education outcome survey focused on online harassment and digital citizenship. The intention for creating and piloting this survey was to provide the field with a research-based tool that can be used in future evaluation and program monitoring efforts. This tool, along with other research and evaluation information on internet safety will be placed in an Internet Safety Education Resource Center on the ICAC Task Force website. Research Results and Conclusions: The internet safety education (ISE) content and process evaluation results indicated that the educational approach and messages of current ISE fail to incorporate critical elements of effective prevention education, including: 1) research-based messages; 2) skill-based learning objectives; 3) opportunities for youth to practice new skills; and 4) sufficient time for learning. Our analyses indicate that the ISE field has been slow to include research-based information on internet predators and online harassment and there is no research to support the assumption that many of the popular educational slogans messages around privacy and digital reputation concerns (e.g., “Think Before You Click”) will lead to improved youth online behavior. The failure to define research-supported program logic means that most ISE is a highly speculative and experimental undertaking, whose success cannot be assumed. Recommendations are made for re-conceptualizing ISE and developing a more effective approach to helping protect youth. Details: Durham, NH: Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC), University of New Hampshire, 2012. 115p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 1, 2013 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242016.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242016.pdf Shelf Number: 128899 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetySex Offenders |
Author: Victoria Parliament. Law Reform Committee Title: Inquiry into Sexting Summary: During the course of the Inquiry the Committee received 60 written submissions and convened public hearings with 45 witnesses. The Committee also met with key individuals and organisations during overseas consultations. The report is the culmination of all of the evidence presented to the Committee. The report contains 14 recommendations that the Committee believes will protect people from the harms caused by non-consensual sexting. The report also recognises that some sexting between young people should not be treated as child pornography, and recommends that new defences to child pornography offences be introduced to Victorian legislation. Details: Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer, 2013. 252p. Source: Internet Resource: Parliamentary Paper No. 230, Session 2010-2013: Accessed June 1, 2013 at: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/lawrefrom/isexting/LRC_Sexting_Final_Report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/lawrefrom/isexting/LRC_Sexting_Final_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 128900 Keywords: Child PornographyComputer CrimesInternet CrimesSex CrimesSexting (Australia) |
Author: Hui, Kai-Lung Title: Marginal Deterrence in the Enforcement of Law: Evidence from Distributed Denial of Service Attack Summary: By studying a panel dataset of distributed denial of service attack across 240 countries over 5 years, we find that enforcing the Convention on Cybercrime had increased the intensity of attack by 43 to 52 percent. It did not significantly reduce the chance for a country to be selected for the attack. We conducted a battery of identification and falsification tests to show that such increased attack intensity arose because of failure in marginal deterrence, instead of other theories such as brutalization, stigmatization, or defiance, or general forms of endogeneity. We show that raising the standard of proof of conviction is one way to facilitate marginal deterrence, but it has the undesirable effect of raising the offense rate. We discuss other possible solutions. Details: Unpublished paper, 2013. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 6, 2013 at: http://home.ust.hk/~davcook/marginal%20deterrence.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://home.ust.hk/~davcook/marginal%20deterrence.pdf Shelf Number: 128967 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimesDeterrence |
Author: Symantec Title: Internet Security Threat Report, 2013 Summary: The Internet Security Threat Report provides an overview and analysis of the year in global threat activity. The report is based on data from the Symantec Global Intelligence Network, which Symantec's analysts use to identify, analyze, and provide commentary on emerging trends in the dynamic threat landscape. Key Findings: 42% increase in targeted attacks in 2012. 31% of all targeted attacks aimed at businesses with less than 250 employees. One waterhole attack infected 500 organizations in a single day. 14 zero-day vulnerabilities. 32% of all mobile threats steal information. A single threat infected 600,000 Macs in 2012. Spam volume continued to decrease, with 69% of all email being spam. The number of phishing sites spoofing social networking sites increased 125%. Web-based attacks increased 30%. 5,291 new vulnerabilities discovered in 2012, 415 of them on mobile operating systems. Details: Mountain View, CA: Symantic, 2013. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 9, 2013 at: http://www.symantec.com/security_response/publications/threatreport.jsp Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.symantec.com/security_response/publications/threatreport.jsp Shelf Number: 129336 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyber CrimeInternet Crimes (U.S.)Internet SecuritySupply Chains |
Author: James, Lachlan Title: Final Report - Cloud Computing Threat Assessment for Small Business Summary: Small businesses are not simply scaled-down versions of big business. Compared with larger organisations, small businesses operate in a distinct and highly resource constrained operating and technical environment. They are time-poor, have minimal bargaining power, and limited or inconsistent financial, technical, legal and personnel resources. Above all, small businesses are typically focused on one thing: survival. It is therefore unsurprising that cloud computing—and its promise of smoothing cash flows and dramatically reducing IT overhead—is attractive to small business. Cloud computing shifts the delivery and maintenance of software, databases and storage to the internet, transforming them into Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) services accessed through a small business user’s web-browser. Cloud computing often comes with zero upfront costs, and scales (up and down) with the demands of the small business. Cloud computing services demand minimal technical skills: they are easy to setup and require little if any maintenance. Accessed via a secure login, for the small business, cloud computing typically represents increased standards of security. However, along with the benefits, cloud computing also embodies many risks for small business, including potential computer security, criminal, regulatory and civil liability issues. Cloud computing—like other new information technologies— challenges the application and understanding of many pre-existing areas of law. Examples of key criminal, regulatory and legal threats for small business adopting cloud computing include: • Cloud Providers are the Target, But Small Business is the Victim – While cloud service providers themselves hold much greater appeal to cybercriminals, it is the cloud service provider’s small business tenants— experiencing disrupted services and hence disruption to their already fragile revenues—that are the real victims. Lacking policies, procedures and training relating to cyber and network security, small businesses are particularly vulnerable to having account details stolen, and their cloud services hijacked. • Ever Changing Sea of International, National & Local Regulation – Where personal information—including financial and credit details—is stored in the cloud, a routine international commercial transaction may require a small business to comply with a myriad of ever changing international, national and state-level regulations and industry-specific standards. • Practical Benefits of Cloud Computing Potentially Non-Compliant – Even some simple, practical benefits of using the cloud—such as storing MYOB files on a cloud storage service (such as DropBox)—may render the small business non-compliant. • Inequality of Bargaining Power: “Take It or Leave It” Service Agreements – With almost no bargaining power and faced with industry-wide boilerplate terms and conditions, small business has little choice but to accept one-sided cloud agreements on a “take it or leave it” basis, leaving vendors absolved of substantially all liability. • Service Credits Inconsistent with Potential Damage to Small Business – Despite the potentially devastating impact of even relatively short service outages, small business is typically left with “service credits” (based on a proportion of monthly subscription fees) as their “sole and exclusive remedy.” • Overseas Legal Jurisdiction & Choice-of-Law – With cloud service agreements frequently setting the legal jurisdiction and choice-of-law to the vendor’s overseas headquarters, even the most simple legal action immediately becomes prohibitively expensive for all but the most successful small business. • Unilateral Termination of Accounts & Data Loss – Cloud service providers, particularly in relation to free accounts, often reserve the right to unilaterally terminate accounts with or without notice, potentially devastating the small business. Absolved of substantially all liability, the cloud service provider leaves the aggrieved small business with no cause of action and no right to recover. Findings – Responding to the Criminal, Regulatory & Legal Threats Technical & Commercial Practices to Reduce Risks – The research has found that there are technical and commercial practices that can be implemented today by small businesses to reduce at least some of the security and commercial risks: • Policies & Training – Small businesses can provide computer security training to personnel, and institute simple policies setting out (for example) how computer resources should be used, how often passwords should be changed, access rights for staff, and how and when employees may bring in and use their own devices. • Industry Education – Industry bodies can provide education and training to small businesses about appropriate practices and regulatory requirements. • Cyber & Cloud Insurance – Existing cyber liability insurance holds out some limited hope of compensating for losses as a result of cybercrime. However, the best hope for broader coverage rests with contingent business interruption insurance adapted to the unique circumstances of cloud computing (“cloud insurance”) being developed by new entrepreneurial ventures such as CloudInsure. Opportunities for Legislative Intervention – The research also identified the likely need for legislative intervention. The near-term future of cloud computing shows signs of bifurcation into budget solutions (much like existing offerings) and premium services with increased security and regulatory compliance, and greater acceptance of liability. But without a change in relative bargaining power between the cloud service provider and small business, it is unclear if competitive forces alone will be sufficient to bring about quality premium services at a price affordable to cost-conscious small business. To encourage cloud service providers to deliver more attractive, secure and cost effective solutions, inequality of bargaining power between cloud service providers and small business clients will need to be addressed. In this respect, there is significant opportunity for judiciously applied legislative intervention. Opportunities for such carefully considered intervention include: a refined doctrine of unconscionability; possible introduction of legal principles broadly akin to “contracts of adhesion” in the United States; and new regulatory powers—possibly adapted from the Communications Alliance (formerly the Australian Communications Industry Forum, Industry Code for Consumer Contracts, ACIF C620:2005)—to police the cloud computing industry. Acting in concert, a combination of technical and commercial solutions—including improved cybersecurity practices, industry education programs, and new species of “cloud insurance”—together with legislative programs may serve to place small business on substantially the same footing as larger businesses, enabling them to fully capture the true benefits of cloud computing while enduring a more equitable share of the risks. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2012. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 19, 2013 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/special/002/Cloud-Computing-DBCDE.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/special/002/Cloud-Computing-DBCDE.pdf Shelf Number: 129472 Keywords: Cloud Computing (Australia)Computer CrimesComputer SecurityCrimes Against BusinessFinancial Crimes |
Author: Poullet, Yves Title: Cloud Computing and Its Implications on Data Protection Summary: 1. The Council of Europe requested the CRID to prepare a preliminary report identifying the main privacy issues related to cloud computing and the questions to be addressed in the future, in particular in the light of Council of Europe data protection standards. As set by the contract, the work is to identify and underline the main cloud computing privacy issues. This first draft is definitively to be further elaborated and to be completed. It does not aim at giving answers which would have to be elaborated in the context of another mandate. 2. This report is structured as follows. It starts with a brief technical introduction illustrating the variety of services covered by the concept of “Cloud computing”. As defined by NIST1, “cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.” 3. Cloud computing services include a large diversity of services going from those offered at the benefit of individuals as the services offered by social networks to those proposed at the benefit of companies in sharing a common software or by using shared information infrastructures. To establish a typology of cloud computing services is quite important since legal problems raised by each kind of computer services might be different to a certain extent. The second point is dedicated to the analysis of the adequacy of the CoE Convention 108 (referred hereinafter as ETS 108) definitions with the cloud computing reality. In particular, the status of the actors involved into the operations will be analyzed. Thereinafter, our report analyses the duties of the persons subscribing to the cloud computing services or offering these services. The crucial question of the security is then addressed. Finally, the report envisages the delicate questions of transborder data flows and international private law, which are inherent to most of the cloud computing services. Details: Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2010. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper: Accessed August 5, 2013 at: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/cooperation/economiccrime/cybercrime/Documents/Reports-Presentations/2079_reps_IF10_yvespoullet1b.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/cooperation/economiccrime/cybercrime/Documents/Reports-Presentations/2079_reps_IF10_yvespoullet1b.pdf Shelf Number: 129533 Keywords: Cloud ComputingComputer CrimesComputer SecurityInternet Crimes |
Author: Internet Crime Complaint Center Title: Internet Crime Report: 2012 Summary: Now in its 13th year of operation, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has firmly established its role as a valuable resource for both victims of Internet crime and the law enforcement agencies investigating and prosecuting these crimes. For the victims, the IC3 provides a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities to suspected criminal violations. For law enforcement agencies, the IC3 serves as a conduit to receive Internet-related complaints, to conduct research related to them and to develop analytical reports based on them for state, local, federal, tribal or international law enforcement and/or regulatory agencies. These agencies then develop investigations based on the forwarded information, as appropriate. In 2012, the IC3 received 289,874 consumer complaints with an adjusted dollar loss of $525,441,1101, which is an 8.3-percent increase in reported losses since 2011. In recognition of this increase, the IC3 expanded its efforts to inform the general public about online scams by publishing several public service announcements and providing additional tips for Internet consumers. Details: Washington, DC(?): Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2013. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 13, 2013 at: http://www.ic3.gov/media/annualreport/2012_IC3Report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.ic3.gov/media/annualreport/2012_IC3Report.pdf Shelf Number: 131646 Keywords: Computer CrimesFraudInternet Crimes |
Author: Ablon, Lillian Title: Markets for Cybercrime Tools and Stolen Data: Hackers' Bazaar Summary: Markets are good because they facilitate economic efficiency, but when that efficiency facilitates criminal activity, such "black markets" can be deemed harmful. Criminal activities in cyberspace are increasingly facilitated by burgeoning black markets in both the tools (e.g., exploit kits) and the take (e.g., credit card information). As with most things, intent is what can make something criminal or legitimate, and there are cases where goods or services can be used for altruistic or malicious purposes (e.g., bulletproof hosting and zero-day vulnerabilities). This report describes the fundamental characteristics of these markets and how they have grown into their current state in order to give insight into how their existence can harm the information security environment. Understanding the current and predicted landscape for these markets lays the groundwork for follow-on exploration of options that could minimize the potentially harmful influence these markets impart. This report assumes the reader has a basic understanding of the cyber, criminal, and economic domains, but includes a glossary to supplement any gaps. This report should be of interest to cybersecurity, information security, and law enforcement communities. It was sponsored by Juniper Networks as part of a multiphase study on the future security environment. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2014. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2014 at: https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR600/RR610/RAND_RR610.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR600/RR610/RAND_RR610.pdf Shelf Number: 132082 Keywords: Black MarketsComputer CrimesCybercrimesCybersecurityHackersIllegal MarketsInternet Crime |
Author: Great Britain. House of Commons. Culture, Media and Sport Committee Title: Online Safety. Sixth Report of Session 2013-14 Summary: The internet has revolutionised communications and information sharing. It provides an ever increasingly important platform for creativity and economic growth. Online social media services are providing new ways of interacting and keeping in touch. Online communications enable expressions of human behaviour both positive and negative; sometimes downright criminal. Our inquiry has focused on three disparate aspects of online content and behaviour, all of which are of widespread concern: illegal content, especially images of child abuse; harmful adult content being made freely available to children; bullying and harassment on social media. Both the publication and possession of child abuse images are rightly illegal. While these offences are bad enough, it must not be forgotten that such images represent crime scenes, often of the most horrific kind. There is a clear need to ensure that the police have adequate resources to track down and arrest online paedophiles in sufficient numbers to act as a meaningful deterrent to others. If necessary, additional funding should be provided to recruit and train a sufficiently large number of police officers adequate to the task. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command, now part of the new National Crime Agency, has a well-deserved reputation as a lead body in tackling child abuse. It has been increasingly effective not least because it is not solely a criminal justice organisation: its education and social care work has also been very important in increasing public understanding of the problem of child abuse and in offering means of countering abusers. All three elements of its mission - education, social care and criminal justice - need to be actively pursued and publicised. The Internet Watch Foundation, too, has played a crucial role in removing and blocking child abuse images online. We very much welcome their new commitment to embark on proactive searching for online child abuse images. The sooner these can be found and removed, the better. However, we are concerned that the additional staff resources being allocated to this task could prove woefully insufficient to achieve substantial progress towards what must be an important intermediate goal: the eradication of child abuse images from the open internet. Tracing paedophiles who share images on peer-to-peer networks and the so-called hidden internet continues to challenge both the police and the internet service providers; it is a challenge that, by working together, they must overcome. Legal adult pornography is widely consumed. This includes explicit "hard core" material that attracts an R18 certificate from the British Board of Film Classification. Parents and carers clearly have a key role, not to mention interest, in preventing harmful material of this kind becoming available to children. However, they should have access to more information and help where and when they need it. In the off-line world, it is the newsagent, not the parent, who voluntarily places some adult magazines on a top shelf out of reach of children. It is the local authority, not the parent, which administers the licensing of sex shops selling R18 pornography to which children may not be admitted. Some level of analogous protection ought to be provided in relation to online material. At the moment, little is. Legal adult sites could restrict access by children in a number of ways. In general a robust age verification process should be in place; as part of this, sites could use a combination of the following: requiring payment by a credit card linked to an adult; shielding the content behind a warning page; attaching metadata to the website to make it easier for filters to operate and for search engines not to return the material when operating in a safe search mode. Filters may not be failsafe, but they continue to improve and are an important way of protecting children from harmful content. We very much welcome the introduction of whole home filtering solutions that prompt account holders with a choice to apply them. The main internet service providers should have contacted all their customers by the end of the year to offer this valuable service. We want to see all other ISPs following suit. Publishing adult pornography in a way that makes it readily available to children is likely to be an offence under the Obscene Publications Act 1959. We do not believe the police should be deterred from bringing to book publishers of adult pornography who make little attempt to shield children from their product. While acknowledging that the enforcement of obscenity legislation is fraught with difficulty, not least in the context of the internet, we believe there is scope for greater enforcement in this area to provide some deterrent effect. There may also be scope for blocking particularly harmful adult websites that make no serious attempt to hinder access by children. As part of its existing media literacy duties, Ofcom has an important role in monitoring internet content and advising the public on online safety. However, we are anxious to avoid suggesting a significant extension of formal content regulation of the internet . Among the unintended consequences this could have would be a stifling of the free flow of ideas that lies at the heart of internet communication. Rather, more needs to be done to signpost the advice and educational resources available to both parents and teachers. This is all the more pressing given the growing use of social media and its misuse by some - both adults and children. Today, one in five 12-16 year-olds think being bullied online is part of life. Social media providers should offer a range of prominently displayed options for, and routes to, reporting harmful content and communications. They should act on these reports expeditiously, keeping the complainant and-where appropriate-the subject of the complaints informed of outcomes and actions. Given that Facebook and Twitter are aware of the extent to which their services are accessed by younger children, thanks to age verification processes that are at best flimsy, we expect them to pay greater attention to factoring this into the services provided, the content allowed and the access to both. The same applies to other social media companies in a similar position. Some of the worst online bullies and trolls are being brought to book in the courts. Much of the abuse and bullying that takes place online is covered by existing laws, but these need to be clarified with guidance updated for the online space. Young people especially are distinguishing less and less between their lives on the internet and in the real world. Bullying that takes place in the playground can merge seamlessly with bullying on smart phones and tablets. Sometimes this ends with the tragedy of teenage suicide. It is just one reminder that staying safe off-line includes staying safe online too. Details: London: The Stationery Office, Limited, 2014. 166p. Source: Internet Resource: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmcumeds/729/729.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmcumeds/729/729.pdf Shelf Number: 132037 Keywords: BullyingChild AbuseChild PornographyChild ProtectionChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesOnline CommunicationsOnline SecurityOnline VictimizationPedophiliaPornography |
Author: Smith, Russell G. Title: Identity Crime and Misuse in Australia: Results of the 2013 Online Survey Summary: Identity crime and misuse of personal information affect all sectors in Australia and cost individuals, business and government many millions of dollars annually. In the public sector, the misuse of personal information has been recognised in income tax evasion, customs duty and GST fraud, superannuation fraud, obtaining welfare and health care benefit fraud achieved through the use of false names, immigration fraud and taking English language tests (a key requirement for visas) for someone else. In the private sector, the problem areas have been identified as opening bank accounts in false names to obtain finance, ATM fraud, online and mobile banking and payment card fraud, funds transfer fraud, and securities and investment fraud. In addition to these and other financial crime risks, misuse of identity can also arise in connection with violent crime, such as where individuals have sought to avoid detection and prosecution for murder, robbery and acts of terrorism by pretending to be someone else. In May 2013, in order to explore the nature and scope of identity crime and misuse in Australia, the Australian Institute of Criminology was commissioned by the Attorney-General's Department to undertake a national survey. This project is one of a series of initiatives that are being implemented as part of the National Identity Security Strategy, Australia's national response to enhancing identity security, which seeks to prevent identity crime and misuse, contribute to national security and facilitate the benefits of the digital economy. Subsequently, the Australian Institute of Criminology used an online research panel to generate a sample of 5,000 Australians aged 15 years and over to measure personal experiences of identity crime. The survey covered the number of contacts, responses and victimisation incidents experienced, as well as financial loss and other impacts, reporting and response activities, and victims' perceptions of changing levels of risk. Detailed demographic information was also collected that enabled profiles of victims to be created. This report presents the results of the survey. The findings confirm prior research that has found that identity crime affects a relatively high proportion of Australians who report substantial financial and other impacts. Raising awareness of the risks that individuals face, and gathering sound statistical data on the problem, is an effective way to address the problem. In order to monitor changes from year to year in the nature and extent of identity crime, it is proposed that this survey will be replicated on a regular basis. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2014. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Research and Public Policy Series 128: Accessed May 5, 2014 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/rpp/128/rpp128.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/rpp/128/rpp128.pdf Shelf Number: 132240 Keywords: Computer CrimesDigital CrimesFinancial CrimesFraudIdentity Theft |
Author: Harris, Kamala D. Title: Gangs Beyond Borders: California and the Fight Against Transnational Organized Crime Summary: Gangs Beyond Borders: California and the Fight Against Transnational Organized Crime, addresses all three emerging pillars of transnational criminal activity: the trafficking of drugs, weapons and human beings; money laundering; and high-tech crimes, such as digital piracy, hacking and fraud. It is the result of extensive research and consultation with federal, state, and local law enforcement, non-governmental organizations, and academia. The report finds that while transnational organized crime is a significant problem, it is not insurmountable. In California, law enforcement at all levels of government have made major strides against these criminal groups, even in the face of declining resources. Law enforcement in foreign countries have made steady in-roads, as well, as demonstrated by the recent arrest in February 2014 of Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, the reputed head of Mexico's notorious Sinaloa Federation cartel. The report describes the strategies that are working and sets forth recommendations to combat transnational organized crime. A call for sustained law enforcement funding and collaboration between federal, state, and local governments are at the center of these recommendations. Details: Sacramento: California Attorney General, 2014. 118p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 20, 2014 at: https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/toc/report_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/toc/report_2014.pdf Shelf Number: 132534 Keywords: Computer CrimesDigital CrimesDrug TraffickingGun TraffickingHuman TraffickingInternet CrimesMoney LaunderingOrganized CrimeTransnational Crime |
Author: Terre des hommes Title: Webcam Child Sex Tourism. Becoming Sweetie: A novel approach to stopping the global rise in Webcam Child Sex Tourism Summary: Rising Internet usage rates and persistent poverty in the developing world have fostered the emergence of a rapidly growing new form of online child sexual exploitation. "Webcam Child Sex Tourism" (WCST) takes place when adults pay or offer other rewards in order to direct and view live streaming video footage of children in another country performing sexual acts in front of a webcam. WCST enables predators to sexually abuse children in other countries with ease and frequency using their Internet-connected personal computers. And despite the fact that WCST is prohibited by international laws and most national criminal codes, the enforcement of those laws has so far been lax. Terre des Hommes Netherlands works to end child exploitation and to assist victims around the world. In recent years, we have been overwhelmed by the surging number of child victims of WCST in the Philippines. The psychological damage that exploitation through WCST has on children is profound and permanent. We recognize that victim assistance alone cannot stop the expansion of such a rapidly growing form of child exploitation. That knowledge motivated us to undertake this study in search of a solution that governments around the world can apply to reduce the global demand for WCST. Key facts: The United Nations and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation estimate that there are 750,000 predators connected to the Internet at any moment. Those predators contribute to a vast global demand for WCST. Moreover, an estimate that tens of thousands of children in the Philippines alone are exploited through WCST, suggests that this form of long-distance child abuse appears to take place with great frequency. However, the alarming fact that only six predators have ever been convicted for engaging in WCST should inspire shame and immediate action by governments around the world. This is a problem that urgently needs the world's attention. Insight: The vast global demand for WCST provides incentives for criminals, impoverished parents, and vulnerable children in developing countries to capitalize on the opportunity to raise their income by increasing the "supply" of children who perform webcam sex shows for money or other rewards. Taking targeted action to reduce the global demand for WCST that is sustained by online predators will effectively reduce the growing number of child victims who constitute the "supply" side of the trade. Our research: What started as research into the WCST trade led us to a viable solution to this global problem. We began the research for this report by gathering information about the nature of the phenomenon of WCST: the physical and online environments in which it takes place, the global trends that have fostered its emergence, and the legal status of WCST in international law and in the national criminal and penal codes of 21 countries. We found that the legal framework prohibiting WCST widely exists, but governments are not adequately enforcing their own child protection laws when the victims are located outside of their borders. Highlighting that point is our finding that only six predators worldwide have been convicted for engaging as customers in WCST. That finding led us to wonder how often WCST actually takes place online. Four Terre des Hommes Netherlands researchers spent 10 weeks posing as prepubertal Filipino girls on 19 public chat rooms. During that short period, a total of 20,172 predators from 71 countries committed crimes by soliciting the researchers, whom the predators believed to be minors, for paid webcam sex performances. But 20,172 crimes in a sample of 19 chat rooms likely reflects only a small fraction of the number of crimes actually taking place every day when we consider the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's estimates that there are 40,000 online chat rooms on which predators lurk. Moreover, WCST takes place on social networking sites, adult webcam sites and online dating sites, in addition to chat rooms. It is likely that WCST takes place tens of thousands of times each day. The finding that WCST is such a common crime on public chat rooms led us to investigate whether law enforcement agencies are not adequately enforcing existing child protection laws because they are unable to identify predators engaging in WCST. We found that identifying predators seeking webcam sexual performances from children can be achieved through the use of a proactive investigation technique. During the 10 weeks spent collecting data, the four Terre des Hommes Netherlands researchers identified 1,000 predators seeking webcam sex performance from children on public chat rooms. They were identified using only information available in public online databases and data provided by predators. No computer hacking or illegal methods were applied. Instead, we just asked predators to provide identifying information under the fictional pretext-a technique known as "social hacking." The following report is the most comprehensive study on WCST undertaken to date. However, the findings of our research, while alarming, only provide a small glimpse into how vast the phenomenon of WCST actually is. While we cannot extrapolate conclusions about the global prevalence of WCST, we do prove that there is a very high incidence of predators seeking WCST on 19 public chat rooms in a 10-week period. Furthermore, based on our analysis of trends in technological developments and other forms of child sexual exploitation, we predict that the WCST trade will continue to grow and spread to other countries if governments around the world do not take immediate action. If action is not taken, we fear that WCST will spiral as far out of control as the online child pornography industry, which is now a multi-billion dollar international trade that law enforcement agencies cannot reign in. Call to action: Currently, law enforcement agencies are hobbled by reactive investigation policies-they investigate crimes against child victims of WCST only after children report the crimes. But, for a number of reasons, children do not report these crimes very often. We call on government agencies in charge of justice to immediately adopt proactive law enforcement policies that empower law enforcement agencies to patrol public online spaces known to be hotspots for WCST and to prosecute predators committing these crimes without waiting for children or parents to report them. Details: The Hague: Terre des Hommes, 2013. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 26, 2014 at: http://www.terredeshommes.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Webcam-child-sex-tourism-terre-des-hommes-NL-nov-2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.terredeshommes.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Webcam-child-sex-tourism-terre-des-hommes-NL-nov-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 132541 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesSex Tourism |
Author: Chan, Jason Title: The Internet and Hate Crime: Offline Spillovers from Online Access Summary: ICTs such as the Internet have had profound effects, both positive and negative, on many aspects of our lives and thereby on the society we live in. As the Internet's use has expanded, the possibility of using this ICT for unlawful activity has grown as well. In this paper we investigate whether the Internet has affected the prevalence of racially-driven hate crime by giving extremists access to a broader set of potential audiences. In order to better understand the link, we study the extent to which broadband availability affected racial hate crimes in the U.S. from 2000 - 2008. We deploy a set of econometric techniques to account for biases that may be present in the estimations. After controlling for estimation biases, we find strong evidence across multiple specifications that Internet availability increases racial hate crimes. We also find that the results are stronger in areas with greater racial segregation and areas with greater levels of urbanization. Our analyses suggest that the Internet-induced increase in racial hate crime is not due to an increase in crime reporting levels facilitated by broadband growth. These results shed light on one of the many offline spillovers from increased online access. Details: New York: New York University - Leonard N. Stern School of Business, 2014. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: NET Institute Working Paper No. 13-02 : Accessed July 16, 2014 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2335637 Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2335637 Shelf Number: 132697 Keywords: Bias-Motivated CrimesComputer CrimesHate Crimes (U.S.)Internet CrimesRace |
Author: Berg, Chris Title: A social problem, not a technological problem: Bullying, cyberbullying and public policy Summary: Bullying among children is a significant and serious issue. In recent years, the phenomenon described as "cyberbullying" has received a large amount of social, political, and academic attention. The Commonwealth government has announced that it is seeking legislative change to deal with cyberbullying. The government plans to institute a Children's e-Safety Commissioner with power to takedown harmful content directed at children from the social media sites. The Children's e-Safety Commissioner is a serious threat to freedom of speech. The purpose of this paper is to outline the scope of the cyberbullying problem, the conceptual framework within it must be understood, and develop principles by which policymakers can address the cyberbullying problem. Without understanding the cyberbullying phenomenon it is impossible to devise effective policy that will not have unintended consequences and threaten basic liberties like freedom of speech. Unfortunately it is not clear that the government has clearly understood the causes, consequences, and characteristics of cyberbullying. This paper argues that cyberbullying is a subset of bullying. It is bullying by electronic means. It is not a problem of a different kind from bullying in an offline environment Details: Melbourne: Institute of Public Affairs, 2014. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 12, 2014 at: http://www.ipa.org.au/portal/uploads/submission_V6.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ipa.org.au/portal/uploads/submission_V6.pdf Shelf Number: 133004 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyber-bullying (Australia)CybercrimeSocial Media |
Author: Helsper, Ellen J. Title: Country Classification: Opportunities, Risks, Harm and Parental Mediation Summary: This report updates and deepens the understanding of cross-national differences among the countries surveyed in EU Kids Online. Where the previous classification was based simply on the percentage of children in each country who used the internet daily, and who had encountered one or more risks, this report examines the range and type of online opportunities, risks and harm experienced by the children in each country. It also takes into account the ways in which parents mediate or regulate their children's internet use in each country. Clusters of countries are most clearly distinguished in terms of sexual content risks. Children who are bullied or who give away personal data are uniformly distributed across the countries. Using these and many other factors, the report identifies four country clusters overall: unprotected networkers, protected by restrictions, semi supported risky gamers, and supported risky explorers. This new analysis reveals that differences within countries are substantially larger than differences between countries, whether measured in terms of online opportunities, risk of harm or forms of parental mediation. The advantage of such pan-European similarities is that it makes sense for policy makers in one country to learn from the best practice initiated in another. Details: London: EU Kids Online, 2013. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 23, 2014 at: http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Classification/Country-classification-report-EU-Kids-Online.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Europe URL: http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Classification/Country-classification-report-EU-Kids-Online.pdf Shelf Number: 129952 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimeOnline Victimization (Europe)Social Networking |
Author: Oxford Economics Title: Cyber-attacks: Effects on UK Companies Summary: Gary Becker's seminal 1968 paper on the economics of crime shaped the way economists think about crime policy and is still applied in many contexts today. Becker explored the decision making function of rational criminal actors, suggesting that criminals choose to engage in illicit activity based on their own assessment of the costs and benefits. Rational criminal actors weigh up the potential yield from a criminal act, the risk of being caught and the severity of the punishment. The decision making process of state-sponsored cyber-attacks differs from that of ordinary criminals in important ways, which may potentially limit the direct applicability of the traditional economic models of crime such as Becker's. State-sponsored attackers are characterised by the very fact that a "non-profit" state entity is involved (as opposed to Becker's individual "for profit" criminals), potential information asymmetry, a perception of immunity from prosecution and the intangible value attributed to acts of patriotism (which does not figure in traditional economic approaches to crime, such as Becker's). At the same time, there is value in understanding the economic theory of crime, as advanced by Becker. States are unlikely to change their activities in the short term, particularly because of non-pecuniary/distorted concepts of returns. However they may do so in the long term, especially if deterred by adequate security measures and changes in operational procedures, (i.e. if the costs of cyber-attacks rise) and as they realise that the returns to cyber-attacks may be mixed at best . This again points to a need for firms to understand the nature of - and threat posed by - current attacks, so as to raise the costs of cyber-attacks for nation-state perpetrators in order to help deter future attacks. Apart from the implications for individual firms, cyber-attacks impact on the UK economy as a whole in two major ways: - Increasing the cost of doing business - Distorting the pattern of long run investment ("dynamic effects") Survey work on the nature of cyber-attacks in the UK undertaken by Oxford Economics and the Ponemon Institute found the following: - Cyber-attacks are a common problem. 60% of respondents had experienced a cyber-attack within the last 12 months. - Loss estimates were highest for damage to reputation/branding. All other costs were reported with raw averages around the $2 million mark, with adjusted means slightly under half that and medians of $175,000. However, the raw average reputation/branding loss estimate was $2.9 million. - Intellectual property and commercially sensitive data is stolen in all sectors, but by no means happens to everyone. With this in mind it is interesting to note that 80% of respondents reported that they had not experienced any IP or commercially sensitive information loss in the last 24 months. - The majority of firms who did suffer a loss of IP or commercially sensitive information felt they were damaged by it. 61% said that they had experienced a loss of competitive advantage due to the loss of IP. 59% said that they had experienced a loss of competitive advantage due to the loss of commercially sensitive information. - The most common loss of competitive advantage came in the shape of "compromised negotiations or business ventures" (31%), followed by the "appearance of copied products or practise" (20%) and the "emergence of new competition" (19%). - While only a minority of companies suffer IP/commercially sensitive information losses, the cost of such losses is considerably higher than is the case for "day to day" losses. The adjusted mean loss of IP was valued at $13.2 million and the adjusted mean loss of commercially sensitive business information was valued at $12.8 million. In addition to the survey of UK firms, which identifies the direct costs incurred as a result of cyber-attacks, Oxford Economics has undertaken an event study to analyse the potential reputational loss firms may suffer. As a proxy for reputational damage we use negative stock market returns that may be experienced immediately around the public disclosure of a cyber-attack. Although further confirmatory analysis would be useful, our results suggest that publicised cyber-attacks do generally have impacts on stock market valuations and, by extension, upon corporate reputations. If this is the case, it means that the investment companies make in IT security to prevent these attacks may maintain shareholder value for these companies. Details: Oxford, UK: Oxford Economics, 2014. 79p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 25, 2014 at: http://www.cpni.gov.uk/documents/publications/2014/oxford-economics-cyber-effects-uk-companies.pdf?epslanguage=en-gb Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cpni.gov.uk/documents/publications/2014/oxford-economics-cyber-effects-uk-companies.pdf?epslanguage=en-gb Shelf Number: 133418 Keywords: Commercial CrimesComputer CrimesCosts of CrimeCrimes Against BusinessesCyber SecurityCybercrime (U.K.)Economic AnalysisEconomic Crimes |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Study on the Effects of New Information Technologies on the Abuse and Exploitation of Children Summary: This Study on the effects of new information technologies on the abuse and exploitation of children was prepared pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolution 2011/33 on Prevention, protection and international cooperation against the use of new information technologies to abuse and/or exploit children, in which the Council expressed concern that increasingly rapid technological advances have created new possibilities for the criminal misuse of new information and communication technologies. The study is based primarily on open source research and the outcomes of an informal expert group meeting on ICT facilitated abuse and exploitation of children, held in Vienna from 23 to 25 September. In accordance with Council resolution 2011/33, relevant information from the 2013 Comprehensive Study on Cybercrime prepared for the consideration of the open-ended intergovernmental expert group on cybercrime is also taken into account. The study is divided into four chapters and contains a glossary as an annex. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2014. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2014 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/commissions/CCPCJ/CCPCJ_Sessions/CCPCJ_23/E-CN15-2014-CRP1_E.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/commissions/CCPCJ/CCPCJ_Sessions/CCPCJ_23/E-CN15-2014-CRP1_E.pdf Shelf Number: 133926 Keywords: Child AbuseChild ProtectionChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesCybercrime (International)Internet CrimesOnline CommunicationsOnline Victimization |
Author: NetNames Title: Behind the Cyberlocker Door: A Report on How Shadowy Cyberlocker Businesses Use Credit Card Companies to Make Millions Summary: Digital theft of copyrighted content, has surged as for-profit pirate sites continue making money by illegally distributing movies, music, TV shows and other content. Cyberlockers are among the most profitable content theft sites, but very little research has been conducted to determine how much money they are pocketing by illegally distributing the work of content creators. As a society, we can no longer shrug off content theft as the isolated activity of high school and college students who want to watch a movie or listen to music for free. Recent reports, this one by NetNames and one earlier this year by MediaLink, lay bare the truth that content theft is big business, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars a year - essentially bleeding the Internet for profit while making it less attractive for generations to come. Content theft harms not only creators whose products are stolen and legitimate distributors that are forced to compete with cyberlockers who pay nothing for the content that drives their business. It also hurts consumers who pay the price for "free" content in a reduction of quality choices as revenues are reduced, and may be subjected to identity theft and malware that cyberlockers are associated with. New research by NetNames has demonstrated that: - It's easy to profit on the Internet when you leverage other people's creative works. In fact, it is possible you could make millions of dollars doing so. - There is a compelling difference between the business models of rogue cyberlockers that peddle in content theft and legitimate cloud storage services. - Malware is a serious issue when it comes to content theft. - Major brands are victimized by content thieves who leverage these brands to make their own rogue sites seem legitimate. - That all it takes for bad operators to succeed is for the facilitators of commerce - payment processors and the advertising industry, among other stakeholders- to do nothing. In the NetNames research, for example, MasterCard and Visa could be used to buy subscriptions on almost all the cyberlockers. The question is what we do about it. It's going to take concerted action by the Internet and the payment processors, advertising industries, consumers, public interest groups, Internet safety organizations and responsible government officials to address this corrosive issue that threatens our basic trust in our online world. Details: London: Digital Citizens Alliance, 2014. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2014 at: http://www2.itif.org/2014-netnames-profitability.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www2.itif.org/2014-netnames-profitability.pdf Shelf Number: 133832 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer SecurityCredit CardsCyber SecurityCybercrimesDigital PiracyIntellectual Property TheftInternet Crimes |
Author: Ponemon Institute Title: The Impact of Cybercrime on Business. Studies of IT practitioners in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Hong Kong and Brazil Summary: Cyber criminals today are increasingly leveraging malware, bots and other forms of sophisticated threats to attack organizations for various reasons, including financial gain, business disruption or political agendas. In many cases, cybercriminals often target multiple sites and organizations to increase the likelihood of an attack's initial success and viral spread. With new variants of malware being generated on a daily basis, many companies struggle to fight these threats separately and the majority of attacks are often left undetected or unreported. In addition, cybercriminals are no longer isolated amateurs. They belong to well-structured organizations with money, motivation and goals, often employing highly skilled hackers that execute targeted attacks. Such organizations can deploy considerable threat intelligence, time and resources in order to execute attacks that can cost cybercrime victims significant amounts of money. Unfortunately, this trend is only growing more complex as businesses experience a surge in Web 2.0 use, mobile computing and the cloud, creating more channels of communication and vulnerable entry points into the network. Conducted by Ponemon Institute and sponsored by Check Point Software Technologies, we are pleased to present the findings of The Impact of Cybercrime on Business. The purpose of the study is to better understand the likelihood, frequency and magnitude targeted threats have on organizations across all company sizes and industries, and to understand how IT practitioners are addressing the risk for future remediation and precautions. In this study we surveyed 2,618 highly experienced business leaders and IT security practitioners located in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Hong Kong and Brazil. Respondents were asked to focus on five of the most prevalent types of attacks: botnets, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), denial of service (DoS) attacks, viruses, worms and trojans and social engineering attacks to evaluate what impact they have on businesses, including their level of risk, motivations, types of information compromised and cost. As the study will show, there are significant differences in practices and perceptions among IT practitioners in all five countries. Details: Traverse City, MI: Ponemon Institute, 2012. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2014 at: http://www.ponemon.org/local/upload/file/Impact_of_Cybercrime_on_Business_FINAL.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.ponemon.org/local/upload/file/Impact_of_Cybercrime_on_Business_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 134061 Keywords: Computer CrimesCrimes Against BusinessesCybercrimeCybersecurityInternet Crimes |
Author: Buxton, Julia Title: The Rise and Challenge of Dark Net Drug Markets Summary: Key Points - Recent years have seen a dramatic growth in the sale of a variety of illicit substances on Dark Net drug markets, with on line sales projected to increase exponentially due to expanding internet availability, evolving technologies and the profusion of social media. - This new form of retail market poses a major challenge to not only law enforcement agencies but also the UN international drug control system and related legal structures within which these agencies operate. - For vendors and purchasers who use the sophisticated, user friendly and increasingly secure Dark Net sites, hidden markets present a safer environment for drug transactions and they reduce the multiple risks (coercion, violence, arrest, exposure to other drugs) associated with 'street' sales. - Research demonstrates that anonymised user forums and online chat rooms encourage and facilitate information sharing about drug purchases and drug effects, representing a novel form of harm reduction for drug users and an entry point for drug support services. - Experience to date shows that enforcement efforts through surveillance, hacking and other forms of interdiction may be successful in closing down a particular site, but at the cost of proliferating hidden drug markets and incentivising technological innovation. - Given an acknowledged lack of technical capacity, legal constraints and poor international enforcement coordination, Dark Net interdiction efforts should prioritise high-end crimes such as child sexual exploitation, cyber terrorism and weapons trafficking, and work with self-regulating, 'ethical' drug sites to enhance understanding of high-level criminality on the Dark Net. - The 2016 UN General Assembly Session (UNGASS) on the World Drug Problem is a timely opportunity to discuss reform of the UN drug control treaty system to better deal with the challenges of the increasingly complex illicit drug market in the twenty-first century. Details: Swansea, UK: Global Drug Policy Observatory, Swansea University, 2015. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 7: Accessed February 12, 2015 at: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/media/The%20Rise%20and%20Challenge%20of%20Dark%20Net%20Drug%20Markets.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/media/The%20Rise%20and%20Challenge%20of%20Dark%20Net%20Drug%20Markets.pdf Shelf Number: 134609 Keywords: Computer CrimesDark NetDrug MarketsIllicit DrugsInternet Crimes |
Author: Alazab, Mamoun Title: Spam and Criminal Activity Summary: The Internet is a decentralized structure that offers speedy communication, has a global reach but also provides anonymity, a characteristic invaluable for committing illegal activities. In parallel with the spread of the Internet, cybercrime has rapidly evolved but attacks via email (spam) remain one of the major vectors for the dissemination of malware and many predicate forms of cybercrime. Spam as 'social engineering' is probably the most popular means for spreading and injecting malware on computers and other digital devices. Unlike cybercrime that targets 'low volume-high value' victims such as banks but often requires advanced hacking capability, spam enables malware to reach 'high volume low value' targets, which are less likely to have effective anti-virus or other countermeasures in place. A typical example is the spreading of malicious emails, containing content that entices the recipient to click on a URL link to a malicious web site or download a malicious attachment. Deceptions achieved through the 'social engineering' of email messages are relatively well understood but less is known about advanced methods like 'spear phishing,' and whether different forms of social engineering are related to different types of malware and crime. Understanding the nature of spam activity, and the threat posed by malicious spam emails, especially the prevalence, frequency, duration and severity of these common forms of cybercrime is the key to prevention. Our research examines spam email attachments and URLs to profile and predict the types of spam that represent serious potential sources of malware infection. We describe the nature and trends in spam borne malware from our cross-disciplinary analysis of data. We argue that because the focus of IT security on perimeter-protection is becoming increasingly ineffective, there is a need to refocus crime prevention activities on the modus operandi of offenders. This research used real world' data sets provided by the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) spam intelligence dataset (SID). We processed 13,450,555 million spam emails: of the 492,978 found with attachments 21.4% were malicious, and of the 6,230,274 that contained a URL, 22.3% of the web links were malicious. Details: Canberra: Regulatory Institutions Network, Australian National University, 2014. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: RegNet Research Paper No. 2014/44: Accessed February 18, 2015 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2467423## Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2467423## Shelf Number: 134637 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeInternet Crimes |
Author: Internet Watch Foundation Title: Emerging Patterns and Trends Report #1. Youth-Produced Sexual Content Summary: This Paper introduces the key findings of a quantitative study of youth-produced sexual content online ('the Study'). The Study took place over a three month period between September and November 2014 and used a combination of proactively sourced content from search engines, historic IWF data and leads from public reports to locate "youth-produced sexual content" depicting "young people". Where the content was assessed as meeting these criteria the content was analysed in accordance with IWF's standard procedures for actioning child sexual abuse content, capturing data about each image/video including image category, site type, commerciality, hosting location, device used to create the content and the assessed age and gender of the individuals depicted. During the course of the Study, 3,803 images and videos were assessed as meeting the research criteria. The key findings of the Study were as follows: - 17.5% of content depicted children aged 15 years or younger. - 85.9% of content depicting children aged 15 or younger was created using a webcam. - 93.1% of the content depicting children aged 15 or younger featured girls. - 46.9% of content depicting children aged 15 years or younger was Category A or B5 compared to 27.6% of content in the 16-20 years age range. - 89.9% of the total images and videos assessed as part of the Study had been harvested from the original upload location and were being redistributed on third party websites. The Study was carried out by Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in partnership with Microsoft and was initially designed to expand upon an earlier study carried out by IWF in 2012 which provided a snapshot of the availability of self-generated sexual content featuring young people online and the extent to which control over that content is lost once it has appeared online. However, on analysis of the data it became apparent that the scope of the 2012 study and the definition of "self-generated sexual content" as used therein was inadequate in describing the observed trends. This was particularly the case in relation to methods of creation of the content and age of many of the individuals depicted. What emerged from the data in this Study is an increasing trend for the distribution of sexually explicit content produced by younger children using laptop webcams which, due to the nature of the technology used, they are aware is being shared with at least one other party. To reflect this finding, we instead propose a new definition of "youth-produced sexual content" as: "Nude or semi-nude images or videos produced by a young person of themselves engaging in erotic or sexual activity and intentionally shared by any electronic means." Details: Cambridge, UK: Internet Watch Foundation, 2015. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2015 at: https://www.iwf.org.uk/assets/media/resources/Emerging%20Patterns%20and%20Trends%20Report%201%20-%20Youth-Produced%20Sexual%20Content.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.iwf.org.uk/assets/media/resources/Emerging%20Patterns%20and%20Trends%20Report%201%20-%20Youth-Produced%20Sexual%20Content.pdf Shelf Number: 135150 Keywords: Child PornographyComputer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet PornographySex CrimesSexting |
Author: SPIRTO Self-Produced Images - Risk Taking Online Title: Self-Produced Images - Risk Taking Online (SPIRTO): Quantitative analysis of identified children data Summary: This project aims to build an evidence base of the risks for adolescents posed by the increased usage of technology, in particular, mobile or hand-held devices. The focus of the project was on the risks related to the new possibilities to generate sexual content, and understanding of the different contexts behind the creation of these images and the consequences for the young people involved. Details: s.l.: SPIRTO, 2014. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2015 at: http://www.spirto.health.ed.ac.uk/download/website_files/SPIRTO_Report_Quantative_Analysis_April2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.spirto.health.ed.ac.uk/download/website_files/SPIRTO_Report_Quantative_Analysis_April2014.pdf Shelf Number: 135151 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesSex OffensesSexting (U.K.) |
Author: Yu, Xiao Title: Moving Targets: Tracking Online Sales of Illegal Wildlife Products in China Summary: Transactions for illegal wildlife products, particularly ivory, are shifting away from online retailers and onto social media platforms according to TRAFFIC's research into the Chinese-language online retail community. This is a key finding of a new report, Moving targets: Tracking online sales of illegal wildlife products in China, which discloses the results of routine market monitoring of China's online retailers that began in 2006 and is released today, World Wildlife Day. At its peak in March 2012, more than 4,000 new advertisements per month for illegal wildlife products were appearing online on Chinese language online retail websites, finds the new report. More than half of the illegal products offered comprised ivory items. However, following advertisement removal and blocking of code words used to describe illegal products through regular exchange with e-commerce and enforcement agencies by TRAFFIC, this fell dramatically to around 1,500 from July 2012 and has remained around that level ever since. One change has been an increase in the number of code words used by sellers to conceal the identity of their goods, from 15 code words used in 2012 to 64 identified and monitored by TRAFFIC today. At least 22 code words exist for ivory, including terms such as "African materials, yellow materials, white plastic, jelly". All 64 code words are searched each month by TRAFFIC on 25 e-commerce and antique selling websites for eight wildlife products - ivory, rhino horn, Tiger bone, hawksbill shells, pangolin scales, leopard bones, Saiga horn and Hornbill casques. There has also been evidence of the move to social media, where dealers release photos and information about illegal wildlife products in order to attract and interact with potential customers. Some dealers also use "agents" to extend their audiences by re-posting the information about illegal wildlife products onto their own social media platform. Details: Cambridge, UK; TRAFFIC International, 2015. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Traffic Briefing: Accessed April 15, 2015 at: http://www.traffic.org/storage/China-monitoring-report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: China URL: http://www.traffic.org/storage/China-monitoring-report.pdf Shelf Number: 135232 Keywords: Computer CrimesIllegal Wildlife TradeInternet CrimesSocial MediaWildlife Crime |
Author: Chertoff, Michael Title: The Impact of the Dark Web on Internet Governance and Cyber Security Summary: With the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' contract with the United States Department of Commerce due to expire in 2015, the international debate on Internet governance has been re-ignited. However, much of the debate has been over aspects of privacy and security on the visible Web and there has not been much consideration of the governance of the "deep Web" and the "dark Web." The term deep Web is used to denote a class of content on the Internet that, for various technical reasons, is not indexed by search engines. The dark Web is a part of the deep Web that has been intentionally hidden and is inaccessible through standard Web browsers. A relatively known source for content that resides on the dark Web is found in the Tor network. Tor, and other similar networks, enables users to traverse the Web in near-complete anonymity by encrypting data packets and sending them through several network nodes, called onion routers. Like any technology, from pencils to cellphones, anonymity can be used for both good and bad. Users who fear economic or political retribution for their actions turn to the dark Web for protection. But there are also those who take advantage of this online anonymity to use the dark Web for illegal activities such as controlled substance trading, illegal financial transactions, identity theft and so on. Considering that the dark Web differs from the visible Web, it is important to develop tools that can effectively monitor it. Limited monitoring can be achieved today by mapping the hidden services directory, customer data monitoring, social site monitoring, hidden service monitoring and semantic analysis. The deep Web has the potential to host an increasingly high number of malicious services and activities. The global multi-stakeholder community needs to consider its impact while discussing the future of Internet governance. Details: Waterloo, ON: London: Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Royal Institute for International Affairs, 2015. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Paper Series: No. 6: Accessed April 15, 2015 at: https://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/gcig_paper_no6.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: https://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/gcig_paper_no6.pdf Shelf Number: 135233 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeCybersecurityDark WebInternet Crime |
Author: Koops, Bert-Jaap Title: Cyberspace, the cloud, and cross-border criminal investigation. Cyberspace, the cloud, and cross-border criminal investigation Summary: With the rise of cloud computing (using scalable computing resources as a service via the Internet), computer data are increasingly stored remotely - 'in the cloud' - instead of on users' devices. Due to the distributed, dynamic, and redundant nature of cloud storage, a particular file can often be stored in multiple places simultaneously, while it may not be stored in any single place in its entirety. For speed-optimisation reasons, data may be stored in the server park closest to the user's normal location. Cloud computing can involve multiple providers in different layered constellations and data can be encrypted. The cloud thus has significant implications for criminal investigation, particularly in cases where digital evidence is sought. Local search and seizure by the police will yield less and less evidence as users use cloud services such as webmail and remote data storage. This reinforces existing challenges of cyber-investigation, which not only requires swift evidence-gathering due to the vulnerability of data loss, but also powers to gain access to data remotely. One particular challenge in cyber-investigation is that such remote evidence-gathering powers will quickly extend beyond national borders. Under the rules of international law, states must then resort to traditional procedures of mutual legal assistance. This is, broadly speaking, a challenging process in cyber-investigations. In addition to organisational limitations, such as lack of capacity or priority-setting, and some legal limitations, such as double criminality, mutual assistance procedures are viewed by those conducting on-line investigations as cumbersome or ineffective for seeking digital evidence. Despite efforts to streamline and facilitate mutual legal assistance in cyber-investigation, the procedures remain inadequate in situations in which there is a need for expeditious data gathering, or where (cyber)criminals move data around with high frequency, and also where the location of the data cannot, or only through time-consuming efforts, be identified, which may often be the case in cloud computing situations. Where mutual legal assistance procedures do not work sufficiently, the question arises whether and under what conditions cross-border investigations are allowed, which is relevant not only for cybercrimes but for all crimes where perpetrators communicate via email or smartphone apps or use cloud storage services. Although a number of efforts have been aimed at trying to move forward in the field of cross-border cyber-investigation, these efforts have not yet resulted in any tangible improvement. A key reason for this is that territorially-based national sovereignty forms the basis of the international order and as a result, international law is strict in prohibiting investigative activities on foreign territory without the consent of the state concerned. The situation is thus one of stalemate: cyber-investigation officials wish to move forward in cross-border investigation but cannot do so because of the current limitations of international law and because the specific challenges of cyber-investigation have so far not induced states to create new international rules in this area that put strict interpretations of sovereignty aside. It is against this background of a 21st-century cloud computing paradigm meeting with 20th-century-based procedures for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters that the central problem of this study takes shape. This report aims to advance the debate on cross-border cyber-investigation by combining the fields of cyber-investigation and international law. The central question addressed in this study is what limits and what possibilities exist within international law for cross-border cyber-investigations by law enforcement authorities. The focus is on cloud storage services, but the analysis applies more generally to Internet investigations, in particular in the form of remote searches and the contacting of foreign service providers to request data. In particular, the report focuses on questions of the legality of cross-border access to data under international law in terms of the core principles of territorial integrity and non-interference in domestic affairs rather than on questions of human rights. The research for this report is based on desk research of international and supranational law and policy and academic literature in the fields of cyber-investigation and of international law, and on an international expert meeting with twenty experts in criminal law, cybercrime, Internet, and international law. Details: Tilburg, NETH: TILT - Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society, 2014. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2015 at: http://english.wodc.nl/onderzoeksdatabase/2326-de-gevolgen-van-cloudcomputing-voor-de-opsporing-en-vervolging.aspx?cp=45&cs=6796 Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://english.wodc.nl/onderzoeksdatabase/2326-de-gevolgen-van-cloudcomputing-voor-de-opsporing-en-vervolging.aspx?cp=45&cs=6796 Shelf Number: 135266 Keywords: Cloud ComputingComputer CrimesCybercrimeInternet CrimesPolice Investigations |
Author: Livingstone, Sonia Title: Towards a better internet for children Summary: This report presents new findings and further analysis of the EU Kids Online 25 country survey. It also brings together our previously published findings relevant to European Commission Vice President Kroes' CEO Coalition recent initiative to make the internet a better place for children. New results show that, of nine different kinds of parental worries about their child, online risks - being contacted by strangers (33% parents) or seeing inappropriate content (32% parents) - rank 5th and 6th. Will the Coalition's principles help manage online risk of harm, and so address parental concerns? Our evidence supports recommendations about initiatives that industry can take under four of the five headings considered by the CEO Coalition. Details: London: EU Kids Online, London School of Economics, 2012. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2015 at: http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/EUKidsOnlinereportfortheCEOCoalition.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/EUKidsOnlinereportfortheCEOCoalition.pdf Shelf Number: 135454 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer SafetyInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline Victimization |
Author: Australia. Attorney-General's Department Title: Improving the Measurement of Identity Crime and Misuse in Australia: Recommendations from the National Identity Crime and Misuse Measurement Framework Project Summary: Traditional identity crime methodologies are continually being adapted to evolving technologies such as mobile devices, social media and cloud computing. This provides criminals with improved capabilities and opportunities to steal or manipulate personal and financial data, and can increase the number of potential victims of identity crime. On 21 October 2014, the Minister for Justice, the Hon Michael Keenan MP, released a report from the National Identity Crime and Misuse Measurement Framework pilot. The report was developed by the Attorney-General's Department and brought together available data from over 50 different Commonwealth, state and territory agencies as well as the private sector. The report found that identity crime is one of the most common crime types in Australia, affecting between 750 000 to 900 000 people each year, with an estimated annual cost of at least $1.6 billion. This project marks one of the first attempts by any government worldwide to systematically measure the incidents and impacts of identity crime. Identity crime has become one of the fastest growing and most common crimes affecting Australians each year - more people report being a victim of identity crime than assault, robbery, motor vehicle theft or household break-ins. In addition to the key findings of the project, a companion report has been developed containing recommendations for improving the quality and availability of data for measuring identity crime. These recommendations are primarily focussed on the systems of government agencies - reflecting the scope of the initial pilot exercise - but also recognise the need to further engage the private sector as a critical source of information and insights into the nature of identity crime and its impacts. The National Identity Crime and Misuse Measurement Framework report includes the results of community survey on identity crime that was commissioned by the Attorney-General's Department. This survey was conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) in 2013 and found that 9.4 per cent of 5000 respondents reported having their personal information stolen or misused in the previous 12 months, with 21 per cent reporting they were a victim at some point in their life. Of those reporting misuse in the previous 12 months, five per cent lost money as a result, at an average of just over $4000 per incident. As incidents may be underreported, the true extent of identity crime victimisation is likely to be much higher. Details: Barton, ACT: Attorney-General's Department, 2014. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2015 at: http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/Documents/ImprovingMeasurementIdentityCrimeAndMisuseInAustralia.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/Documents/ImprovingMeasurementIdentityCrimeAndMisuseInAustralia.pdf Shelf Number: 135441 Keywords: Computer CrimesCrime StatisticsCrimes Against BusinessesCybercrimeIdentity Theft |
Author: Australia. Attorney-General's Department Title: Identity crime and misuse in Australia: Key findings from the National Identity Crime and Misuse Measurement Framework Pilot Summary: Efforts to combat identity crime require a reliable evidence base that quantifies the complete nature and extent of the problem. In Australia and also internationally, there are limited sources of comprehensive, reliable data about identity crime and its consequences. To address this gap in knowledge, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed in 2012 that work should be undertaken to develop a national measurement framework for identity crime to better inform efforts to implement the National Identity Security Strategy (NISS). This report presents the key findings from a pilot data collection exercise that was undertaken as part of the project established to develop this measurement framework. Key finding: Each year around 4 to 5% of Australians (around 750,000 to 937,000 people) experience identity crime resulting in a financial loss. However, the true extent of identity crime is likely to be unknown, as a considerable proportion of incidents go unreported. The Australian Institute of Criminology conducted a 5,000-person online community survey (the AIC Survey) in 2013 as part of this pilot. They found that 9.4 percent of respondents reported having their personal information stolen or misused in the previous 12 months, with five percent reporting that they suffered financial losses as a result (Smith & Hutchings 2014). Identity crime is likely under-reported by both individual victims and organisations. For example, recent research has shown that only 50 percent of credit card fraud victims and 66 percent of identity theft victims reported the incident to a formal institution, such as law enforcement or a financial institution (ABS 2012). Key finding: Compared with other personal and theft-related crimes (i.e. assault, robbery, break-ins and motor vehicle theft), identity crime is one of the most prevalent crime types affecting Australians each year. Key finding: The price of fraudulent identity credentials suggests they are relatively cheap and easy to obtain. This is reflected in the variety of ways that these credentials are used to commit identity fraud. Information on data breaches (many of which go unreported) also suggests that the personal information needed to create fraudulent identity documents is also available to those willing to seek it out. Key finding: State and territory police detect up to an estimated 30,000 identity crimes each year, with around 24,000 offences proven guilty in a court of law. As identity crimes are often recorded under other related offences such as fraud, the actual number of identity crimes is likely much higher. Key finding: The majority of identity victims lose relatively small amounts of money (up to $1,000), although in some cases losses can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars. A significant proportion of victims also experience demands on their time or other adverse impacts to their mental or physical health, reputations or general wellbeing. Key finding: Only a small proportion of victims of identity crime report the incident to relevant organisations. Court-issued victims' certificates appear significantly underutilised as a mechanism to assist victims in recovering from the consequences of identity crime. Key finding: There are an increasing number of identity credentials that can be verified through the Document Verification Service (DVS), as well as a growing demand for the service amongst government and private sector organisations. Key finding: The estimated economic impact of identity crime in Australia is likely to exceed $1.6 billion per year. In light of the limited data available and the underreporting of identity crime, by both individuals and organisations, this is likely to be a conservative estimate. Key finding: Aside from underreporting, the single biggest limitation on efforts to measure identity crime is the lack of standardisation between organisations over definitions and how incidents are recorded. Details: Barton, ACT: Attorney-General's Department, 2014. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2015 at: http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/Documents/IdentityCrimeAndMisuseInAustralia.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/Documents/IdentityCrimeAndMisuseInAustralia.pdf Shelf Number: 135442 Keywords: Computer CrimesCredit Card Fraut Crime Statistics Crimes Against Businesses Cybercrime Financial crimesIdentity Theft |
Author: Sutherland, Clare Title: The nature of online offending: Explored from Crown Prosecution Service case files Summary: Evidence regarding online offenders is limited and there are key gaps in knowledge around offender demographics, backgrounds and criminal careers. However, online offences and offenders are not easily identified through traditional data sources such as police recorded crime. This report therefore aims to help build understanding of online offenders and the nature of their offending by outlining findings from an analysis of case files held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The research involved analysis of offences prosecuted and convicted under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 (CMA); the Fraud Act 2006; s.127 of the Communications Act 2003 (CA); and the Malicious Communications Act 1998 (MCA). Random samples of cases were taken in December 2012 to explore: the proportion of cases that could retrospectively be identified as committed online; and the information that was held in those online cases regarding the characteristics of offenders and the nature of their offences. Details: London: Home Office, 2015. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 82: Accessed October 15, 2015 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/468067/horr82.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/468067/horr82.pdf Shelf Number: 136988 Keywords: Computer CrimesCrime StatisticsInternet Crimes |
Author: McFarland, Charles Title: The Hidden Data Economy: The Marketplace for Stolen Digital Information Summary: Data is the "oil" of the digital economy. The commercial market for personal data is booming, with large databases of subscriber information driving up the enormous valuations of those companies that own it, even though many have yet to turn a profit. As the commercial value of personal data grows, cybercriminals have long since built an economy selling stolen data to anybody with a computer browser and the means to pay. In the 2013 McAfee Labs report Cybercrime Exposed: Cybercrime-as-a-Service, we demonstrated how current tools, products, and services can allow anyone to become a cybercriminal, regardless of technical ability. We followed up with the report Digital Laundry: An analysis of online currencies, and their use in cybercrime, which explained virtual currencies in detail and how they are used to convert stolen data into cash. By the time Digital Laundry was published in 2013, the publicity following the law enforcement action against the Silk Road let the world know that illegal products could easily be acquired online. Such actions have demonstrated just how much traditional crime has evolved with the help of the cyber world. Cybercrime Exposed and Digital Laundry focused on tools that aid an attack. This report will attempt to answer the question: What happens after a successful breach? Details: Santa Clara, CA: Intel Security/McAfee, 2015. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 6, 2015 at: http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/reports/rp-hidden-data-economy.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/reports/rp-hidden-data-economy.pdf Shelf Number: 137217 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer SecurityCybercrime |
Author: Palmer, Tink Title: Digital Dangers: The impact of technology on the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and young people Summary: The internet has transformed how we all live, learn, work and communicate. Over the last twenty years the ways in which we interact and engage have evolved beyond imagination; for many people, the world online is as real as the world offline. For children - at the forefront of the digital revolution - the internet has created myriad opportunities. But it has also created risks. For every new piece of technology that can change how children access information, communicate or find entertainment, a new danger may present itself in a way that children, families and society may not immediately understand. Barnardo's is the largest provider of support to at risk and sexually exploited children in the UK, and runs specialist services in 47 local areas across the country. In 2014-15, these services supported 3,175 children, a 49 per cent increase on the preceding year. Our project workers have witnessed first-hand how the internet has transformed the nature of abuse and sexual exploitation. The concerns that we raise in this report build upon evidence that started to emerge when Barnardo's published Just one click! in 2004. This was one of the first publications in the UK to address the growing concerns amongst professionals about the ways in which children and young people may be at risk of harm online. More than a decade later, and now that the true scale of sexual exploitation of children in the UK is finally beginning to be recognised, it is even more crucial that we better understand the risks posed by the internet, and how we can address them. What is clear from the report is that the ways in which children can be sexually exploited online do not always follow the models of sexual exploitation that we are familiar with. Children at risk may be younger than those referred to services for offline sexual exploitation, and may not fit into standard definitions of 'vulnerable'. What is also clear from the report is that the problem of online sexual abuse of children impacts on the work of Barnardo's across all projects. As communication becomes ever more private and personal, due to mobile devices and instant connectivity, it can become all the more difficult to identify who is at risk, how they are at risk and where they are at risk. It is vital that policy and practice recognises the particular vulnerabilities that children now face, and respond to them. Drawing on research conducted with our services, this report makes a number of recommendations relating to service provision; training for professionals; and policy change. The recommendations are wide-ranging and emphasise the part that we can all play in protecting our children online. Details: Barkingside, Ilford, UK: Barnardo's, 2016. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 13, 2016 at: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/onlineshop/pdf/digital_dangers_report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/onlineshop/pdf/digital_dangers_report.pdf Shelf Number: 137575 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesOnline CommunicationOnline VictimizationSocial Media |
Author: Levi, Michael Title: The Implications of Economic Cybercrime for Policing Summary: London, as one of the world's leading financial centres, had a daily turnover in the foreign exchange market of L2,626 billion in April 2013 - all dependent on a highly interconnected electronic infrastructure and supporting technology. Yet this same technology that underpins and enables these global transactions also opens up businesses and individuals to new risks, in particular relating to cybercrime. The introduction of sophisticated technology has brought about a step-change in the way economic crime is committed - enabling frauds to be perpetrated at scale, at great speed, and at a distance, with no physical contact necessary between criminal and victim. It can be much harder to identify the individuals initiating crime, and often the location will be outside UK jurisdiction. These factors have resulted in a sharp escalation of such activities in recent years, bringing new challenges for policing and industry in preventing and tackling such crime. The City of London Police is the National Policing Lead for Economic Crime, and is playing a key role in proactively addressing these challenges including developing a national strategy. One major challenge has been coordinating information about criminal activity where this can be geographically widely dispersed. In addition to investigating some of the most serious frauds in the country, the City of London Police hosts the national reporting database - Action Fraud. This current research piece undertakes new analysis of data held by Action Fraud and its partner unit, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) also hosted by the City of London Police. It finds that between October and December 2014 alone there were 106,681 reported fraud cases, a third of which related to banking and credit industry frauds. The median amount lost to fraudsters across all fraud types ranged from L112 lost through misuse of contracts in the telecom industry, to 38,974 lost from pension fraud. However the annual 250,000 crime reports received present only a limited view of several million crimes that are taking place within the UK annually to the cost of some $30billion. Under-reporting presents a challenge both in terms of research and policy responses. City of London Police initiatives to reduce fraud include training both the private and public sector in specialist skills through their Economic Crime Academy, piloting a focused victim care unit in London - the Economic Crime Victim Care Unit - and working closely with law enforcement across the UK to share information and co-ordinate action. Most importantly they include the formation of new national police fraud and cyber strategies focused on prevention at a national and local level. This research report highlights the necessity of working in partnership, both around primary prevention and building in security protection, and working with other agencies to disrupt criminal activities and pursue and prosecute offenders. Details: London: City of London Corporation, 2015. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2016 at: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/business/economic-research-and-information/research-publications/Documents/Research-2015/Economic-Cybercrime-FullReport.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/business/economic-research-and-information/research-publications/Documents/Research-2015/Economic-Cybercrime-FullReport.pdf Shelf Number: 137785 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer FraudCybercrimesEconomic CrimesFinancial CrimesInternet CrimesPolice Technology |
Author: Mounteney, Jane Title: The internet and drug markets Summary: The last decade has seen the emergence of new internet technologies that have acted as important facilitators of online drug markets. The internet now hosts a range of virtual marketplaces (both on the surface and deep web) for selling and buying illicit substances, as well as representing a new arena for health and law enforcement interventions. This first EMCDDA investigation into the world of online drug markets brings together state-of-the-art input from over 20 experts - from academia, journalism and frontline practice - and contributes to the knowledge base on this part of the supply chain. Details: Lisbon: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2016. 136p. Source: Internet Resource: Insights no. 21: Accessed February 11, 2016 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/2155/TDXD16001ENN.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/2155/TDXD16001ENN.pdf Shelf Number: 137844 Keywords: Computer CrimesDrug MarketsIllegal MarketsInternet Crimes |
Author: National Crime Agency (UK) Title: Emerging new threat in online dating. Initial trends in internet dating-initiated serious sexual assaults Summary: The National Crime Agency's Serious Crime Analysis Section (SCAS) has identified a significant increase in the number of reports to UK police forces about serious sexual assaults carried out by strangers that have been initiated through online dating. Reports indicate that these offences took place during the first face-to-face meeting between the victim and the offender after they initially met online. This emerging threat appears to be a result of the increasing popularity of online dating - including free and subscription services, dating websites, apps and 'hook up' services - combined with the behaviours and expectations fostered by an online environment. Early analysis indicates that the online dating phenomenon has produced a new type of sexual offender. These offenders are less likely to have criminal convictions, but instead exploit the ease of access and arm-chair approach to dating websites. This is aided by potential victims not thinking of them as strangers, but someone they have got to know. Details: London: National Crime Agency, 2016. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 24, 2016 at: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/670-emerging-new-threat-in-online-dating-initial-trends-in-internet-dating-initiated-serious-sexual-assaults/file Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/670-emerging-new-threat-in-online-dating-initial-trends-in-internet-dating-initiated-serious-sexual-assaults/file Shelf Number: 137948 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimesOnline DatingOnline VictimizationSexual AssaultsSocial Media |
Author: Kruithof, Kristy Title: Internet-facilitated Drugs Trade: An Analysis of the size, scope and the role of the Netherlands Summary: The potential role of the Internet in facilitating drugs trade first gained mass attention with the rise and fall of Silk Road; the first major online market place for illegal goods on the hidden web. After Silk Road was taken down by the FBI in October 2013, it was only a matter of weeks before copycats filled the void. Today, there are around 50 so-called cryptomarkets and vendor shops where anonymous sellers and buyers find each other to trade illegal drugs, new psychoactive substances, prescription drugs and other goods and services. But it is not just the obscure parts of the Internet where drugs are on offer. There are numerous web shops, easily found by search engines, which offer new psychoactive substances, often labelled as 'research chemicals'. The Netherlands occupies a crucial position in European illicit drug markets. Data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction suggested it is the main producer of MDMA, ecstasy and herbal cannabis and a key distribution hub for cannabis resin and cocaine. Whether the pivotal role of the Netherlands also extends online, has yet been unclear. The Netherlands Ministry of Security and Justice commissioned RAND Europe to provide a firmer evidence base to this phenomenon and, in particular, the role of the Netherlands. This report analyses the size and scope of Internet-facilitated drugs trade both on the so-called clear and hidden web, paying special attention to the Netherlands, and delineates potential avenues for law enforcement for detection and intervention. Key Findings Monthly revenues from drugs on cryptomarkets are in the double-digit million dollars Of all products and services on offer, this study found that 57 per cent of listings across the eight analysed cryptomarkets offered drugs. The results indicate that these cryptomarkets generated a total monthly revenue of $14.2m (L12.6m) in January 2016, $12.0m (L10.5m) when prescription drugs and alcohol and tobacco are excluded (lower-boundary estimate). An upper-boundary estimate for monthly drug revenues via visible listings on all cryptomarkets would be $25.0m (L22.1m) and $21.1m (L18.5m) when prescription drugs and alcohol and tobacco are excluded. Cannabis, stimulants and ecstasy were responsible for 70 per cent of all revenues on the analysed cryptomarkets. No information was identified on revenues on the clear net. The values are based on EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.14 as of April 2016. Cryptomarkets are not just an 'eBay for Drugs' Large 'wholesale' level transactions (those greater than $1,000) are important for cryptomarkets, generating nearly one quarter of overall revenue both in September 2013 and in January 2016. Based on these findings it is likely that many cryptomarket customers are drug dealers sourcing stock intended for offline distribution. Most revenues are generated by vendors who indicate they are operating from Anglo-Saxon countries or Western Europe Most vendors appeared to be operating from the United States (890), followed by the United Kingdom (338), and Germany (225). Vendors indicating they ship from the United States generated 36% per cent of all drug revenues within our sample. Other Anglo-Saxon (Canada and the United Kingdom) as well as Western European countries (the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, France) also generate substantial proportions of revenues. Revenues from vendors operating from the Netherlands are by far the largest on a per capita basis Revenues to vendors reporting to operate from the Netherlands on cryptomarkets accounted for 8 per cent of total drug revenues. On a per capita basis, revenues to vendors operating from the Netherlands were 2.4 times higher than those from the United Kingdom and 4.5 higher than those from the United States. Vendors and buyers on online markets seem to have similar characteristics Traditional investigation techniques applied in the drug chain, postal detection and interception, online detection and online disruption are potential law enforcement strategies in the detection and intervention of Internet-facilitated drugs trade. In addition, international cooperation and coordination (and the accompanying legal challenges), capacity and resources and (technical) capabilities could play a facilitating role in deploying the different strategies to tackle Internet-facilitated drugs trade. There are four broad categories of modes of detection and intervention Traditional investigation techniques applied in the drug chain, postal detection and interception, online detection and online disruption are potential law enforcement strategies in the detection and intervention of Internet-facilitated drugs trade. In addition, international cooperation and coordination (and the accompanying legal challenges), capacity and resources and (technical) capabilities could play a facilitating role in deploying the different strategies to tackle Internet-facilitated drugs trade. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2016. 203p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 25, 2016 at: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1600/RR1607/RAND_RR1607.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Netherlands URL: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1600/RR1607/RAND_RR1607.pdf Shelf Number: 140034 Keywords: Computer CrimesDrug MarketsIllegal Drug TradeIllegal DrugsInternet Crime |
Author: European Parliament. Directorate-General for Internal Policies. Policy Department C: Citizzen's Rights and Constitutional Affairs Title: Cyberbullying Among Young People Summary: his study provides an overview of the extent, scope and forms of cyberbullying in the EU taking into account the age and gender of victims and perpetrators as well as the medium used. Commissioned by the Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the LIBE Committee, the study illustrates the legal and policy measures on cyberbullying adopted at EU and international levels and delineates the EU role in this area. An analysis of legislation and policies aimed at preventing and fighting this phenomenon across the 28 EU Member States is also presented. The study outlines the variety of definitions of cyberbullying across EU Member States and the similarities and differences between cyberbullying, traditional bullying and cyber aggression. Moreover, it presents successful practices on how to prevent and combat cyberbullying in nine selected EU Member States and puts forward recommendations for improving the response at EU and Member State levels. Details: Brussels: European Parliament, 2016. 196p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2016 at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2016/571367/IPOL_STU(2016)571367_EN.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Europe URL: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2016/571367/IPOL_STU(2016)571367_EN.pdf Shelf Number: 147855 Keywords: BullyingComputer CrimesCyberbullyingCybercrimeInternet Crimes |
Author: Ponemon Institute Title: 2016 Cost of Data Breach Study: Global Analysis Summary: IBM and Ponemon Institute are pleased to release the 2016 Cost of Data Breach Study: Global Analysis. According to our research, the average total cost of a data breach for the 383 companies participating in this research increased from $3.79 to $4 million . The average cost paid for each lost or stolen record containing sensitive and confidential information increased from $154 in 2015 to $158 in this year's study. In addition to cost data, our global study looks at the likelihood of a company having one or more data breach occurrences in the next 24 months. We estimate a 26 percent probability of a material data breach involving 10,000 lost or stolen records. According to this year's findings, organizations in Brazil and South Africa are most likely to have a material data breach involving 10,000 or more records. In contrast, organizations in Germany and Australia are least likely to experience a material data breach. In this year's study, 383 companies located in the following 12 countries participated: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, France, Brazil, Japan, Italy, India, the Arabian region (United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia), Canada and, for the first time, South Africa. All participating organizations experienced a data breach ranging from approximately 3,000 to slightly more than 101,500 compromised records . We define a compromised record as one that identifies the individual whose information has been lost or stolen in a data breach. Seven global megatrends in the cost of data breach research Over the many years studying the data breach experience of 2,013 organizations in every industry, the research has revealed the following seven megatrends. 1. Since first conducting this research, the cost of a data breach has not fluctuated significantly. This suggests that it is a permanent cost organizations need to be prepared to deal with and incorporate in their data protection strategies. 2. The biggest financial consequence to organizations that experienced a data breach is lost business. Following a data breach, organizations need to take steps to retain customers' trust to reduce the long-term financial impact. 3. Most data breaches continue to be caused by criminal and malicious attacks. These breaches also take the most time to detect and contain. As a result, they have the highest cost per record. 4. Organizations recognize that the longer it takes to detect and contain a data breach the more costly it becomes to resolve. Over the years, detection and escalation costs in our research have increased. This suggests investments are being made in technologies and in-house expertise to reduce the time to detect and contain. 5. Regulated industries, such as healthcare and financial services, have the most costly data breaches because of fines and the higher than average rate of lost business and customers. 6. Improvements in data governance programs will reduce the cost of data breach. Incident response plans, appointment of a CISO, employee training and awareness programs and a business continuity management strategy continue to result in cost savings. 7. Investments in certain data loss prevention controls and activities such as encryption and endpoint security solutions are important for preventing data breaches. This year's study revealed a reduction in the cost when companies participated in threat sharing and deployed data loss prevention technologies. Details: Traverse City, MI: Ponemon Institute, 2016. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2016 at: http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?htmlfid=SEL03094WWEN Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?htmlfid=SEL03094WWEN Shelf Number: 140233 Keywords: Computer Crimes Crimes Against Businesses Cyber Security Cybercrime |
Author: Europol Title: IOCTA 2016: Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment Summary: The 2016 Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) is a law enforcement-centric threat assessment intended to inform priority setting for the EMPACT Operational Action Plans in the three sub-priority areas of cybercrime (cyber attacks, child sexual exploitation online and payment fraud). The IOCTA also seeks to inform decision-makers at strategic, policy and tactical levels on how to fight cybercrime more effectively and to better protect online society against cyber threats. The 2016 IOCTA provides a view from the trenches, drawing primarily on the experiences of law enforcement within the EU Member States to highlight the threats visibly impacting on industry and private citizens within the EU. The IOCTA is a forward-looking assessment presenting analyses of future risks and emerging threats, providing recommendations to align and strengthen the joint efforts of EU law enforcement and its partners in preventing and fighting cybercrime. Details: Paris: EUROPOL, 2016. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 22, 2016 at: https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/main-reports/internet-organised-crime-threat-assessment-iocta-2016 Year: 2016 Country: Europe URL: https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/main-reports/internet-organised-crime-threat-assessment-iocta-2016 Shelf Number: 147314 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeInternet CrimesOrganized Crime |
Author: Alazab, Mamoun Title: Spam and criminal activity Summary: The rapid growth of the internet is transforming how we engage and communicate. It also creates new opportunities for fraud and data theft. One way cybercriminals exploit the vulnerabilities of new technologies and potential victims is the use of deceptive emails on a massive scale. In a sample of more than 13 million emails identified as spam, more than 100,000 contained malicious attachments; nearly 1.4 million contained malicious web links. If opened, these attachments and links could infect the recipients' devices with software that allows cybercriminals to remotely access them. This paper describes how crime groups increasingly adopt novel approaches to cybercrime. Increased law enforcement capacity, the cultivation of high-level coordination between industry, government and police, and the further development of machine learning techniques should be at the forefront of government initiatives in this area. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2016. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice, no. 526: Accessed December 5, 2016 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi526.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi526.pdf Shelf Number: 147867 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeInternet CrimesOnline VictimizationSpam |
Author: Australia. Attorney-General's Department Title: Identity crime and misuse in Australia 2016 Summary: This is the third in a series of reports that seek to analyse the nature and extent of identity crime and misuse in Australia. These reports compile data from Commonwealth, state and territory agencies, as well as the private sector and other non-government sources. The Attorney-General’s Department leads the development of these reports as a key initiative of the National Identity Security Strategy. Cost of identity crime The annual cost of identity crime in Australia is $2.2b. This includes the direct and indirect losses incurred by government agencies and individuals; and the cost of identity crimes recorded by police. The costs of preventing and responding to identity crime are estimated to be a further $390m, bringing the total economic impact of identity crime in Australia to approximately $2.6b per year. These figures represent a revised estimate of the cost of identity crime in Australia to $2.2b compared to the estimate of $2b from the 2013–14 report. This is due to better availability of data and is not necessarily an indicator of change over the intervening time. Details: Canberra: Attorney-General's Department, 2016. 91p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 6, 2016 at: https://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/Documents/Identity-crime-and-misuse-in-Australia-2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: https://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/Documents/Identity-crime-and-misuse-in-Australia-2016.pdf Shelf Number: 147922 Keywords: Computer CrimesCosts of CrimeCybercrimeFinancial CrimesFraudIdentity Theft |
Author: Gagliardone, Iginio Title: Countering Online Hate Speech Summary: Hate speech online is situated at the intersection of multiple tensions: it is the expression of conflicts between different groups within and across societies; it is a vivid example of how technologies with a transformative potential such as the Internet bring with them both opportunities and challenges; and it implies complex balancing between fundamental rights and principles, including freedom of expression and the defence of human dignity. As the UN agency with a specific mandate to foster freedom of expression, and its corollaries, press freedom and freedom of information, UNESCO is actively working to promote mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication, including the Internet in general, and social networking platforms in particular. The roots of the research presented in this current publication lie in UNESCO’s fulfilment of Resolution 52 of its 37th General Conference in November 2013, as agreed by the Organization’s 195 Member States. This resolution called for a comprehensive and consultative multistakeholder study, within the mandate of UNESCO, on Internet-related issues of access to information and knowledge, freedom of expression, privacy, and the ethical dimensions of the Information Society. The research into hate speech served as a contribution towards the wider study.1 The present report provides a global overview of the dynamics characterizing hate speech online and some of the measures that have been adopted to counteract and mitigate it, highlighting good practices that have emerged at the local and global levels. While the study offers a comprehensive analysis of the international, regional and national normative frameworks developed to address hate speech online, and their repercussions for freedom of expression, it places particular emphasis on social and non-regulatory mechanisms that can help to counter the production, dissemination and impact of hateful messages online. The findings of this study can be grouped around four main tensions: definition, jurisdiction, comprehension, and intervention. ● Definition. Hate speech is a broad and contested term. Multilateral treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) have sought to define its contours. Multi-stakeholders processes (e.g. the Rabat Plan of Action) have been initiated to bring greater clarity and suggest mechanisms to identify hateful messages. And yet, hate speech continues largely to be used in everyday discourse as a generic term, mixing concrete threats to individuals’ and groups’ security with cases in which people may be simply venting their anger against authority. Internet intermediaries – organizations that mediate online communication such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google – have advanced their own definitions of hate speech that bind users to a set of rules and allow companies to limit certain forms of expression. National and regional bodies have sought to promote understandings of the term that are more rooted in local traditions. Against this backdrop, the possibility of reaching a universally shared definition seems unlikely, a shared interest to avoid violence and protect human dignity has made debates on hate speech a moment for different stakeholders to come together in original ways and seek locally relevant solutions. ● Jurisdiction. The Internet’s speed and reach makes it difficult for governments to enforce national legislation in the virtual world. Issues around hate speech online bring into clear relief the emergence of private spaces for expression that serve a public function (e.g. Facebook, Twitter), and the challenges that these spaces pose for regulators. Despite initial resistance, and following public pressure, some of the companies owning these spaces have become more responsive towards tackling the problem of hate speech online, although they have not (yet) been fully incorporated into global debates (e.g. the Rabat Plan of Action) about how to identify and respond to hate speech. ● Comprehension. The character of hate speech online and its relation to offline speech and action are poorly understood. These topics are widely talked about – by politicians, activists and academics – but the debates tend to be removed from systematic empirical evidence. The character of perceived hate speech and its possible consequences has led to placing much emphasis on the solutions to the problem and on how they should be grounded in international human rights norms. Yet this very focus has also limited deeper attempts to understand the causes underlying the phenomenon and the dynamics through which certain types of content emerge, diffuse and lead – or not – to actual discrimination, hostility or violence. This study offers various examples of research aimed at mapping the emergence and diffusion of speech online, but also highlights the lack of studies examining the links between hate speech online and other social phenomena, ranging from access to education to rising inequalities. Details: Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2015. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 14, 2016 at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002332/233231e.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002332/233231e.pdf Shelf Number: 144890 Keywords: Computer CrimesHate CrimesHate SpeechInternet CrimesOnline VictimizationSocial Media |
Author: Krone, Tony Title: Trajectories in online child sexual exploitation offending in Australia Summary: Although the full extent and nature of the sexual exploitation of children is only beginning to be recognised, it is a problem of global significance that requires strong and effective responses. The extent to which the viewing of child exploitation material (CEM) is linked to involvement in producing such material, sharing it and using it to groom and then assault children is a key concern. Most such material is held online, and it is important to understand how offenders use the internet to access CEM and to groom children for sexual exploitation. This exploratory study examines data relating to a sample of offenders convicted of online child sexual exploitation offences under Australian Commonwealth law, to determine how online forms of child sexual exploitation and offline child sexual exploitation, or contact offending, are related. The majority of offenders in this study appeared to commit only online offences, although in a minority of cases there was a connection between exploitative material, grooming and contact offending. This study is an important early step in improving our understanding of offenders and points to the need for further assessment of the nature of online child sexual exploitation and its relationship to other forms of sexual and violent offences. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2017. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 524: Accessed February 1, 2017 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi524.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi524.pdf Shelf Number: 145098 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual ExploitationComputer Crimes Internet Crimes Online VictimizationSex Offenders |
Author: Lenhart, Amanda Title: Online Harassment, Digital Abuse, and Cyberstalking in America Summary: The internet and digital tools play an increasingly central role in how Americans engage with their communities: How they find and share information; how they connect with their friends, family, and professional networks; how they entertain themselves; how they seek answers to sensitive questions; how they learn about—and access— the world around them. The internet is built on the ideal of the free flow of information, but it is also built on the ideal of free-flowing discourse. However, one persistent challenge to this ideal has been online harassment and abuse—unwanted contact that is used to create an intimidating, annoying, frightening, or even hostile environment for the victim and that uses digital means to reach the target. As with their traditional expressions, online harassment and abuse can affect many aspects of our digital lives. Even those who do not experience online harassment directly can see it and respond to its effects; even the threat of harassment can suppress the voices of many of our citizens. In order to explore these issues and the ways that online environments affect our experiences online, this report examines American teens’ and adults’ experiences with witnessing, experiencing, and responding to the aftermath of online harassment and abuse. Its findings are based on the results of a nationally representative survey of 3,002 Americans 15 and older conducted from May 17th through July 31st, 2016. Respondents were contacted by landline and cell phone, and interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. 47% of internet users have experienced online harassment or abuse In order to examine the types of harassment and abuse that Americans have personally experienced, we asked internet users about 20 harassing behaviors over the course of the survey. Overall, almost half (47%) of Americans have personally experienced one of the harassing behaviors we asked about. The types of harassing behaviors we studied fall into three broad categories: • Direct harassment refers to things that people do directly to one another. Examples include: being called offensive names, being threatened physically, and being stalked. 36% of internet users have experienced this type of harassment. • Invasion of privacy refers to harms done to the victim through the unauthorized access to and exposure or spreading of information beyond the owner’s control. Experiences include: being hacked, having information about or images of the person exposed online without their permission, being impersonated, being monitored, and being tracked online. 30% of internet users have experienced this type of harassment. • Denial of access occurs when someone uses the features of the technology or platform to harm the victim, usually by preventing access to essential digital tools or platforms. Examples include: sending a very large number of unwanted messages, rendering the account unusable; misuse of reporting tools so that the person is blocked from using a platform; and technical attacks that overwhelm a device, site, server or platform and prevent access to it. 17% of internet users have experienced this type of harassment. Overall, almost three-quarters (72%) of American internet users have witnessed online harassment or abuse, and almost half (47%) of Americans have personally experienced one of the harassing behaviors we asked about. Men and women are equally likely to face harassment, but women experience a wider variety of online abuse, including more serious violations. Young people and sexual minorities are also more likely to experience online harassment or abuse—and more likely to be affected by it A common theme throughout our findings is that young people under age 30 and sexual minorities (respondents who identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual) were generally more likely to witness and/or experience online harassment or abuse. Black, sexual minority, and young Americans—especially young women— are also less likely than others to say that people are mostly kind to each other online, and more likely to say they self-censor what they post online in order to avoid harassment. Men are substantially less likely than women to describe what they experienced as harassment Internet users who have experienced harassing behaviors differ as to whether they think their experience constitutes ‘harassment’ or not. We found that women who have experienced the behaviors we asked about were substantially more likely than men who have experienced the same behaviors to say that they thought their experience constituted ‘harassment or abuse’ (53% of women who experienced harassing behaviors vs. 40% of men). Some behaviors were also more consistently considered ‘harassment’ by their targets. For instance, more than eight in ten people who experienced cyberstalking, sexual harassment, or persistent harassment agreed that their experiences constituted ‘online harassment or abuse,’ while fewer than six in ten people who experienced offensive name-calling said the same. Women were more likely than men to be angry, worried, or scared as a result of online harassment and abuse Among those who did say that what they experienced was online harassment and abuse, women were almost three times as likely as men to say the harassment made them feel scared, and twice as likely to say the harassment made them feel worried. Meanwhile, men who said they had been harassed were more likely than women to say they were ‘not bothered’ by the experience. However, almost all of those who were ‘not bothered’ also reported feeling another emotion (annoyed, worried, etc.) as well. 27% of all American internet users self-censor their online postings out of fear of online harassment More than a quarter of Americans (27%) say they have at some point decided not to post something online for fear of attracting harassment. While many internet users who have not encountered harassment still say they have self-censored to avoid potential harassment, people who have seen or experienced harassment online are much more likely to self-censor for this reason than those who have not. Looking at men and women of different age groups, we find that younger women are most likely to self-censor to avoid potential online harassment: 41% of women ages 15 to 29 self-censor, compared with 33% of men of the same age group and 24% of internet users ages 30 and older (men and women). Details: New York: Data & Society Research Institute; Clemente, CA: Center for Innovative Public Health Research, 2016. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Report 11.21.16: Accessed March 3, 2017 at: https://www.datasociety.net/pubs/oh/Online_Harassment_2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.datasociety.net/pubs/oh/Online_Harassment_2016.pdf Shelf Number: 141322 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyberstalkingOnline CommunicationsOnline HarassmentOnline victimizationSocial Media |
Author: Opinion Leader Title: Cybersafe: Research to Support a Safer Internet Campaign Summary: Four Internet Service Providers, BT, TalkTalk, Sky and Virgin Media, have come together to develop an information campaign to help parents make their children's usage of the Internet safer. Opinion Leader was commissioned to carry out research to support the development of this campaign, understanding parents' experiences and concerns and identifying appropriate calls to action. During July and August 2013, a programme of 12 focus groups and 1,500 online survey interviews were carried out with parents of children aged 0-16 living across the UK. This report presents findings from the research, intended to guide the developing campaign. Details: London: Opinion Leader, 2013. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2017 at: https://www.internetmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Cybersafe-20-Sept-2013-Opinion-Leader-FINAL-VERSION-1.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.internetmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Cybersafe-20-Sept-2013-Opinion-Leader-FINAL-VERSION-1.pdf Shelf Number: 144534 Keywords: Child Protection Computer CrimesCybercrime Cybersecurity Internet Security Social Media |
Author: National Crime Agency (UK) Title: Pathways Into Cyber Crime Summary: The report, which is based on debriefs with offenders and those on the fringes of criminality, explores why young people assessed as unlikely to commit more traditional crimes get involved in cyber crime. The report emphasises that financial gain is not necessarily a priority for young offenders. Instead, the sense of accomplishment at completing a challenge, and proving oneself to peers in order to increase online reputations are the main motivations for those involved in cyber criminality. During his debrief, Subject 7, who was jailed for Computer Misuse Act and fraud offences, told officers, "..it made me popular, I enjoyed the feeling... I looked up to those users with the best reputations". The report identifies that some offenders begin by participating in gaming cheat websites and 'modding' (game modification) forums before progressing to criminal hacking forums. The assessment notes that off-the-shelf tools such as DDOS-for-hire services and Remote Access Trojans (RATs) are available with step by step tutorials at little to no cost to the user, making the skills barrier for entry into cyber crime lower than it has ever been. It also highlights that whilst there is no socio-demographic bias, with people across the country from different backgrounds among offenders, the average age of cyber criminals is significantly younger than other crime types. In 2015, the average age of suspects in NCA cyber crime investigations was 17 years old, compared to 37 in NCA drugs cases and 39 in NCA economic crime cases. Subject 1, a member of a hacking collective who sold DDoS tools and Botnet services, told officers that a warning from law enforcement would have made him stop his activities. The report also identifies education and opportunities to use skills positively as helpful in steering potential offenders towards a future career in cyber security. Details: London: NCA, 2017. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2017 at: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/791-pathways-into-cyber-crime/f Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/791-pathways-into-cyber-crime/f Shelf Number: 145184 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer HackingCybercrimeCybersecurityInternet CrimesSocial Media |
Author: ECPAT International Title: Online Child Sexual Exploitation: An Analysis of Emerging and Selected Issues Summary: Although information and communication technologies (ICTs) are an important and positive component of modern life, their rapid expansion is making more children vulnerable to online sexual exploitation. The swift evolution of the technology is leading to a terrifying growth in online child sexual abuse material (CSAM), as well as new emerging threats to children. Without a doubt, the volume and scale of CSAM has reached unprecedented levels. In 2014, INHOPE, the association of INTERNET hotlines, assessed that 83,644 URLS containing child sexual abuse material exist worldwide, a 64% increase from the year before. The NCMEC Cybertipline (which handles reports of child sexual exploitation for major tech companies in the US) received more than 7.5 million reports since 1998, yet 4.4 million of these were received in 2015 alone. There is also a clear indication that child abuse material is being circulated by offenders through more hidden platforms, such as file sharing networks (including peer-to-peer), the 'Dark Net' or similarly encrypted software techniques such as The Onion Router (TOR). ECPAT has a long record of contributing to global efforts aimed at eliminating online child sexual exploitation (OCSE). ECPAT advocates for the development and implementation of stronger, relevant legal frameworks; calls for the wider deployment of technical tools to reduce the availability of CSAM; supports law enforcement; and raises awareness with the public. ECPAT's Journal Series is yet another strategy to research, analyse and depict emerging global threats and trends in the sexual exploitation of children, including online, and to highlight lessons learnt and recommendations for better prevention and protection. The latest ECPAT Journal predominately focuses on the online sexual exploitation of children. It contains four articles exploring some of the technical challenges and emerging concerns. The first article looks at how virtual currencies can be misused for child sex offending. It identifies that there are significant gaps in our knowledge of how the different virtual currencies can be used for illegal purposes, thereby raising the worrying issue of what exactly is the scale and scope of the problem? Fortunately, some opportunities for interventions are emerging. Staying with technology, the second article looks at the effectiveness of filtering and blocking, in combination with the use of splash pages, as a mechanism to deny access to child sexual abuse material online. Despite promising results, the paper emphasises that the use of splash pages must still be used within a broader approach to tackling this problem, especially as some offenders will not be so easily deterred. Not surprisingly, most of the efforts in tackling Internet child sex offending have focused on male perpetrators. However, an understudied aspect is the role played by women in the commission of ICT facilitated child sex offences. This article takes on the challenge of exposing female Internet sex offending and, in the process, presents some interesting findings on the specificity of female online sex offending. By understanding these nuances, more gender responsive interventions must be developed otherwise we will continue to miss this form of abuse and its child victims will remain hidden. Finally, ECPAT concludes with another thought provoking article looking at the live streaming of child sexual abuse in the Philippines; one of the most significantly affected countries in the world. The article asks the question: 'why?'; especially when the country has a robust child protection legal framework. Clearly, domestic legal protection and regulatory frameworks alone are not sufficient to address this multi-faceted phenomenon as the Philippines is now realising. This ECPAT Journal thus aims to highlight how the very nature of the Internet is resulting in the growth and evolution of online child sexual abuse materials. As such, ECPAT hopes that these articles can inform us of how the burgeoning online child sexual exploitation impacts everywhere and compels us to control its proliferation. Details: Bangkok: ECPAT International, 2017. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 6, 2017 at: http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Journal_No12-ebook.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Journal_No12-ebook.pdf Shelf Number: 145328 Keywords: Child Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer CrimesInternet Crimes Online Victimization Social Media |
Author: Biancotti, Claudia Title: Cyber attacks: Preliminary evidence from the Bank of Italy's business surveys Summary: This paper presents preliminary evidence on cyber risk in the Italian private sector based on the Bank of Italy's annual surveys of Italian industrial and service firms. The information collected, albeit only covering the incidence of cyber attacks and some aspects of security governance, is the first of its kind for Italy. The results are striking: even though a mere 1.5 per cent of businesses do not deploy any cyber-security measures, 30.3 per cent - corresponding to 35.6 per cent of total employees - report at least some damage from a cyber attack between September 2015 and September 2016. Once data are corrected to account for unwillingness to report or inability to detect attacks on the part of some respondents, these figures climb to 45.2 and 56 per cent respectively, with large, high-tech and internationally exposed businesses faring worse than average. The economy-wide risk level is likely to be higher still; the financial sector, healthcare, education and social care are excluded from the sample, but they are known from other sources to be particularly appealing to attackers. Details: Rome: Bank of Italy, 2017. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Occasional Paper, no. 373: Accessed May 10, 2017 at: https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/qef/2017-0373/QEF_373.pdf?language_id=1 Year: 2017 Country: Italy URL: https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/qef/2017-0373/QEF_373.pdf?language_id=1 Shelf Number: 145393 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer SecurityCrime Against BusinessesCyber SecurityCybercrime |
Author: Krone, Tony Title: Online Child Sexual Exploitation Offenders: A Study of Australian Law Enforcement Data Summary: Children are among the most vulnerable members of our society and need our nurture, care and protection, yet too many children around the world experience some form of child abuse. The exploitation of children for sexual purposes, in which children are used as commodities for the sexual pleasure of adults, is particularly heinous. Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a global problem that demands strong and effective responses. The full extent and nature of the problem, both historically and currently, is only now beginning to be recognised. The reality of child sexual exploitation within families, in institutions and elsewhere must be confronted. Evidence tells us that intrafamilial sexual exploitation of children has been, and remains, a major problem. The reality - of exploitation by offenders who are known to their child victims - runs counter to the perceived danger presented by strangers. The focus on the danger presented by strangers appears to have been part of a collective denial of the reality of exploitation committed by those entrusted with the care of children. A key concern for those working to address this problem is to determine how the viewing of child exploitation material (CEM) is linked to involvement in the production and sharing of such material, or its use in the grooming of children for sexual purposes or the commission of further sexual assaults on children. Most CEM is held online; it is therefore important to understand how offenders inhabit and use the internet to groom children for sexual purposes. This exploratory study examines data related to a sample of offenders convicted of online child sexual exploitation offences under Australian Commonwealth law, to determine the relationship between offline or contact offences and online CSE offending. In this sample, most CEM offenders appeared to commit only online offences, although there did appear to be a connection between CEM, grooming and contact offending in a minority of cases. This study is an important early step in improving our understanding of Commonwealth online CSE offenders. It points to the need to further assess the nature of online CSE and its relationship to other forms of sexual and violent offences. Details: Canberra: Criminology Research advisory Council, 2017. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2017 at: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1617/58-1213-FinalReport.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1617/58-1213-FinalReport.pdf Shelf Number: 145903 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual ExploitationComputer Crimes Internet Crimes Online GroomingOnline VictimizationSex Offenders |
Author: Europol - European Police Office Title: Online sexual coercion and extortion as a form of crime affecting children. Law enforcement perspective Summary: Offenders may try and approach you online to get sexual photos or videos of you. To achieve this, they will try to make you feel special by pretending to be your friend. They might say nice things to you to gain your trust. They may also lure you into sexualised conversation and performing sexual acts online. Once they get hold of your sexual photos or videos, they may demand you send more, or ask you for money, threatening to post the images on the internet or share them with your friends and family if you don't do as they say. They can be very clever at making you feel guilty about what has happened to stop you from getting help. Although this behaviour can also exist in a peers' environment, this advice focuses on criminal activities conducted by adults. This person is not someone you should trust. This is an offender and should be prosecuted. Many victims don't seek help or report it to the police as they are embarrassed about the material the perpetrator has, or because they are unaware that they are victims of crime. Details: The Hague: EUROPOL, 2017. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 27, 2017 at: https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-documents/online-sexual-coercion-and-extortion-form-of-crime-affecting-children-law-enforcement-perspective Year: 2017 Country: Europe URL: https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-documents/online-sexual-coercion-and-extortion-form-of-crime-affecting-children-law-enforcement-perspective Shelf Number: 146523 Keywords: Child Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesOnline VictimizationSexual Exploitation |
Author: Great Britain. National Audit Office Title: Online Fraud Summary: Growth in the use of the internet and advances in digital technologies mean that citizens and businesses can now do more online. For the UK, this means there are opportunities for greater innovation and economic growth, but also more opportunities for online crime. While traditional crimes such as vehicle offences and house burglary have declined substantially in recent years, fraud, more than half of which is committed online, is becoming more common and is a growing threat. Online criminals can target thousands of victims at the same time from anywhere in the world and so are hard to trace and prosecute. Online fraud can harm citizens financially and emotionally and harm businesses' finances and reputations. The true cost of online fraud is unknown, but is likely to be billions of pounds. One estimate was that individuals lost around L10 billion and the private sector around L144 billion to fraud in 2016. In the year ending 30 September 2016, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that there were 1.9 million estimated incidents of cyber-related fraud in England and Wales, or 16% of all estimated crime incidents. Online fraud includes criminals accessing citizens' and businesses' bank accounts, using their plastic card details, or tricking them into transferring money. The Home Office (the Department) is responsible for preventing and reducing crime, including online fraud. Many other bodies also play a role including the police, banks, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), which records fraud offences and shares information with police forces, and Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud. In 2016, the Department set up the Joint Fraud Taskforce to improve collaboration between government, industry and law enforcement in tackling online fraud. In the same year, the government published its National Cyber Security Strategy to 2021, which includes the government's plans for tackling cyber crime, including cyber-enabled fraud and data theft. Scope of this report This report focuses on the Department, which is responsible for preventing and reducing online fraud. We have examined how the Department works with other bodies to tackle the crime. We have not evaluated whether the Department is achieving value for money in tackling online fraud as the true scale of online fraud and the overall cost to the government is not known. In this report we sometimes refer just to fraud as often the government and other bodies, as well as data sources, do not distinguish between online and offline fraud. We have examined: - the nature and scale of the current threat (Part One); - how the Department and others have responded to the threat (Part Two); and - the challenges and opportunities the Department and others face in reducing and preventing online fraud (Part Three). The report does not cover fiscal fraud, such as benefit fraud, committed against the government. This was covered in a National Audit Office report in 2016. In addition, this report does not cover the major international cyber attack which occurred in May 2017 when we were finalising this report. The incident affected the NHS and other organisations in the UK and shows the serious risk and challenges that cyber crime presents to the UK government as well as citizens and businesses. Details: London: NAO, 2017. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Online-Fraud.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Online-Fraud.pdf Shelf Number: 146594 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeFraudInternet CrimesOnline FraudOnline Victimization |
Author: Hakmeh, Joyce Title: Cybercrime and the Digital Economy in the GCC Countries Summary: Online activity and the use of digital technology have grown rapidly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. Albeit with certain variations between countries, this has helped to boost prospects for a 'digital transformation' in which states and cities in the region could become international hubs for digital services. Such a shift offers a significant opportunity in the context of policy agendas to diversify the region's hydrocarbon-dependent economies. At the same time, however, digital growth has increased the GCC's vulnerability to cybercrime. While the incidence, spread and effects of cybercrime in the region are difficult to measure precisely, a number of trends and figures suggest that cybercrime is growing rapidly and that the region has become a magnet for such crime. The rise in cybercrime has occurred in spite of heavy investment by GCC states in cyber protection, and the adoption of various measures including legislation. Cybercrime threatens growth of the digital economy. It shakes trust in the foundations of digital commerce, and in the 'smart infrastructure' of interconnected devices, adaptive systems and other digital technologies which governments in the region are developing - and which they aspire to expand. A number of factors suggest that the incidence, scale and impact of cybercrime are likely to increase further in the future. The first is the prospect of rapid growth in the digital economy, reflecting the prominence of digital strategies in the plans of GCC governments. A second factor is the high speed of technology adoption, which makes it hard for policy to keep pace with rising cybercrime and evolving criminal methods. A third factor is the expected convergence of technologies as the 'Internet of Things' (IoT) expands and develops, potentially creating new risk exposures via huge numbers of networked devices. In short, the GCC region will likely find itself both continuing to grapple with the existing challenges of cybercrime and facing ever-evolving risks as a result of ongoing technological innovation. Cybercrime is pervasive and cannot be completely eradicated. However, governments can limit its impact by creating a resilient overall economy and robust institutions, and by investing in deterrent capacity. Legislative frameworks play an intrinsic role in this process. In this context, it is important to consider whether existing GCC countermeasures - including legislation - are fit for purpose, or whether an overhaul is needed. This research paper offers an overall picture of the state of the digital economy in the GCC, and of progress to date in the region's attempted digital transformation. It also seeks, in particular, to highlight shared regional cybercrime challenges and their impact. The paper surveys the extent and effectiveness of existing measures - including legal instruments - for countering cybercrime, and proposes improvements to the policy regime and areas for potential intergovernmental cooperation. Although the focus is mainly on the GCC in aggregate, the paper also takes into account variations between the six countries in terms of digital development, the prevalence of cybercrime, and the nature and extent of countermeasures available. Details: London: Chatham House, 2017. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 7, 2017 at: https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/publications/research/2017-06-30-cybercrime-digital-economy-gcc-hakmeh.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/publications/research/2017-06-30-cybercrime-digital-economy-gcc-hakmeh.pdf Shelf Number: 146772 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeCybersecurityInternet Crimes |
Author: Park, Jiyong Title: Economics of Cybercrime: The Role of Broadband and Socioeconomic Status Summary: Drawing upon the economic theory of crime, this study examines the conditions under which the Internet is associated with cybercriminal offenses. Using comprehensive state-level data in the United States during 2004-2010, we find that there is no clear empirical evidence that the Internet penetration is related to the number of cybercrime perpetrators; however, cybercriminal activities are contingent upon socioeconomic factors and connection speed. Specifically, a higher income, more education, and a higher inequality are likely to make the Internet penetration be more positively related with cybercrime perpetrators. These findings imply that cybercrime has something in common with property crimes in terms of crime targets, whereas the motivational factors of cybercrime seem to be close to those of violent crimes, as providing psychological benefits of crime commitments. Moreover, contrary to narrowband, broadband connections are significantly and positively associated with cybercrime perpetrators, and it amplifies the aforementioned moderating effects of socioeconomic status. A relevant discussion is provided. Details: Seoul, Korea: KAIST College of Business, 2017. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: KAIST College of Business Working Paper Series No. 2017-002: Accessed August 8, 2017 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2896059 Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2896059 Shelf Number: 146773 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrime Internet Crimes Socioeconomic Status and Crime |
Author: Parraguez Kobek, Luisa Title: The State of Cybersecurity in Mexico: An Overview Summary: The cost of cybercrime incidents in the world has gone from US$3 trillion in early 2015 to a projected US$6 trillion by 2021. Luis Almagro, the Secretary General of the OAS, acknowledged that information and communication technologies (ICTs) and its multiple uses continue to evolve at a rapid pace in the region and countries are highly vulnerable to potentially devastating cyberattacks. Mexico's economy and geostrategic location is an attractive target for illicit cyber activities. On the one hand, it is enjoying considerable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and a solid GDP growth and on the other, it is still relatively vulnerable in cybersecurity and cyber defense. Mexico ranks as the second country in Latin America with the most cyberattacks, with a 40% growth in the number of attacks between 2013 and 2014, and approximately 10 million victims in 2014. Cybersecurity, sustainability and resilience are not only necessary for Mexico's safekeeping but they are also important factors in its social and economic development. Mexico needs to engage with its national, regional and international partners to combine resources, multi-stakeholder initiatives and facilitate information sharing to ensure its security in cyberspace. Details: Washington, DC: Wilson Center, Mexico Institute, 2017. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 11, 2017 at: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/cybersecurity_in_mexico_an_overview.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Mexico URL: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/cybersecurity_in_mexico_an_overview.pdf Shelf Number: 147207 Keywords: Computer CrimesCosts of CrimeCybercrimeCybersecurityInternet Crimes |
Author: Hamilton-Giachritsis, Catherine Title: Everyone deserves to be happy and safe: A mixed methods study exploring how online and offline child sexual abuse impact young people and how professionals respond to it Summary: This study sought to develop an understanding of: - How young people who have experienced online or offline sexual abuse are impacted by it - with a focus on their voices and perspectives - Any specific effects of technology-assisted sexual abuse and related support needs - Professional responses to young people affected by sexual abuse and professional perceptions of technology-assisted abuse and its impact - Young people's views on how prevention and intervention around sexual abuse, particularly technology-assisted, could be improved This mixed methods exploratory study (for methods and participant numbers see Table 1) was approved by three ethics committees (the NSPCC, University of Birmingham, University of Bath). Carrying out this research required careful balancing of young people's rights of 'protection' and 'participation'. While the research represents an important step in identifying the impact of and responses to child sexual abuse in the UK today, especially that which is technology-assisted, its limitations must be borne in mind. In addition to the small samples sizes and the cross-sectional nature of the sample, it is important to keep in mind the potential biases related to the sample recruitment. The young people interviewed and who answered the questionnaires were recruited from NSPCC services, Childline and the National Crime Agency. Key findings - Online abuse is sometimes perceived as having less impact and being of less immediate concern than offline abuse by professionals. - TA-CSA abuse is no less impactful than offline-only sexual abuse. - Technology provides additional routes both to access young people to abuse, and to manipulate and silence them. - With TA-CSA, there are additional elements for young people to contend with, related to control, permanence, blackmail, revictimisation and self-blame. - Some professionals noted that victims are more often 'blamed', seen as participating in the abuse or do not see it as abuse when it is online. Details: London: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 2017. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 7, 2017 at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/impact-online-offline-child-sexual-abuse.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/impact-online-offline-child-sexual-abuse.pdf Shelf Number: 148750 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseComputer CrimesOnline VictimizationSocial Media |
Author: Perkins, Derek Title: Interventions for perpetrators of online child sexual exploitation: a scoping review and gap analysis Summary: Technology has become a primary medium for child sexual abuse and exploitation. Like offline behaviour, technology-facilitated abuse and exploitation can take many forms, such as the recording of the sexual assault of a child or communicating with a child via mobile devices. Online and offline spaces are not always clearly distinguishable: abuse and exploitation can start in one space and move to the other. In this report, we describe sexually abusive activities towards a child or young person as 'online child sexual abuse' (OCSA) - or, where there are gains beyond sexual gratification, 'online child sexual exploitation' (OCSE) - if they are carried out via technology. Various interventions for perpetrators of OCSA and OCSE are available, ranging from one-toone sessions to manualised treatment groups. Little is known about the effectiveness of existing interventions, and whether there are gaps in the current intervention response. To improve knowledge of treatment in these areas, this scoping review obtained information from three sources: - online searches - a literature review and enquiries to service providers in relation to existing interventions - an online survey of experts and stakeholders - in-depth interviews drawn from the survey participants. These yielded information about the different interventions currently provided for perpetrators of OCSA/E, their effectiveness (where known), gaps within current interventions, and forthcoming challenges in the field. Key messages from the research Lack of evaluation and research Law enforcement, offender management and child protection services have had to be responsive to the urgent and growing issue of OCSA/E, despite limited evidence on the underlying psychological models of OCSA/E behaviour. Responding to need has, understandably, outrun the collection of scientific evidence, and there has been a lack of systematic evaluation of interventions' effectiveness. Sense of being overwhelmed Whilst professionals involved in this area felt strongly about the positive impact of their work, they also communicated a sense of feeling overwhelmed with regard to the high numbers of OCSA/E perpetrators, the lack of funding available for their services, and the need for specific training for professionals involved in this area. Need to increase knowledge generation and exchange Professionals expressed a desire for enhanced knowledge generation and exchange, especially with regard to increasing the empirical knowledge base on the risks and needs presented by the perpetrators of OCSA/E, and the lack of professional tools to assist with decision-making regarding risk and treatment. Enhance existing intervention response Interventions for perpetrators of OCSA/E remain limited and are largely similar in their client focus, scope and funding approach. They predominantly focus on psychoeducation and addressing psychological markers of offending behaviour, are provided for adult males known to the criminal justice system, and are paid for by the client or as part of court-ordered or mandatory interventions. Early intervention focus The scoping review also identified a demand for a shift towards preventative approaches - to increase public awareness and targeted at young people through educational resources. Sex education, including internet safety and pornography use, was highlighted by professionals as needing to be an integral part of the school curriculum. Professionals also discussed the implications of providing interventions for OCSA/E perpetrators not known to the criminal justice system, and for non-offending individuals who may be concerned about their sexual interest. Characteristics of existing interventions Online offending has become a focus in interventions provided for people with a sexual conviction and their victims. This scoping review identified 48 services or agencies that contribute to interventions for OCSA/E offending by providing interventions themselves, commissioning or conducting relevant research, and providing knowledge exchange events for professionals. This included eight UK-based services that directly provide interventions for perpetrators of OCSA/E. Most interventions are focused on adult male perpetrators (predominantly those known to the criminal justice system), with limited support provided for adolescents, female perpetrators, or the perpetrator's support network such as family members or friends. The reviewed intervention services typically provide psychological assessments and individual or group treatment. A key difference between UK and some international providers is the ability of the latter to work with perpetrators without the requirement for statutory disclosure to the criminal justice system on matters that would require disclosure in the UK (for example in respect of specific information on past unprosecuted offences). Quality control in relation to the provided interventions is variable. The empirical research on which they are based is not always up to date or specific to the offender subgroup. Service evaluations mainly comprise qualitative feedback from service users rather than more multifaceted pre-post treatment assessments. Implications from the research The scoping review highlighted a number of areas for future development and professional practice: - Intervene earlier and more broadly. This includes offence-prevention strategies such as public education about the nature of OCSA/E and their legal classification, enhancing service provisions for nonoffending individuals attracted to children, and reducing access to sexually exploitative material of children and young people. - Enhance the treatment response for (known) offenders. This may include expanding the existing client target group, increasing accessibility of services and increasing staff support. It may also include staying up to date on emergent issues in the field, such as new opportunities for OCSA/E arising with novel technologies. - Generate and share knowledge. This may include OCSA/E-specific training for professionals working in the field, support for research engagement, and knowledge exchange and collaboration between professionals and partner agencies. A key research need is to conduct systematic intervention evaluations. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 5: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%205%20-%20Interventions%20for%20perpetrators%20of%20online%20CSE.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%205%20-%20Interventions%20for%20perpetrators%20of%20online%20CSE.pdf Shelf Number: 149208 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesIntervention ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex OffendersSocial Media |
Author: Walker, Kate Title: Characteristics and perspectives of adults who have sexually exploited children: Scoping research Summary: There is a lack of information about individuals who perpetrate child sexual exploitation (CSE) offences. This report describes one of three research projects commissioned by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse to build an evidence base about this population. The projects' aims were to: ‣ investigate the characteristics of those who commit CSE ‣ identify the nature and dynamics of their behaviours, their motivations and the way they target and exploit their victims. The report will be of interest to frontline practitioners, service providers, commissioners of services, policy makers, researchers and academics. Method Notes from police intelligence briefings with 27 perpetrators of CSE were analysed, using content analysis to extract demographic information about CSE perpetrators. Additionally, interviews were undertaken with 18 adults who had sexually offended against children; using the current (2017) Government definition of CSE for England, these 18 adults were classified as either CSE perpetrators (n = 11) or Non-CSE perpetrators (n = 7). Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data, to identify common themes that captured the characteristics and motivations of CSE perpetrators. Key findings and gaps in research knowledge ‣ There has been little research to date that has specifically examined the characteristics, context and motivations of CSE perpetrators. ‣ It is difficult to identify CSE perpetrators, since most sexual offences are not specific to CSE and individuals who have committed CSE offences have not been categorised as such in the criminal justice system process. This makes it difficult to conduct research with this group. ‣ Adults in this sample who had committed CSE offences had experienced dysfunctional lives. They evidenced individual internal characteristics, such as mental health problems, low self-esteem and antisocial attributes. ‣ Many excessively used adult pornography and/or images that depicted children. ‣ Negative external influences were also present in their relationships and environments. These included chaotic intimate relationships, poor relationships with family members and peers, and violence and abusive relationships at home and school. ‣ Individuals believed that their offending was associated with a culmination of all the dysfunctional and negative experiences in their lives, including both internal and external influences. ‣ Individuals justified and 'explained' their offending behaviours, which enabled them to continue to offend. ‣ Motivation for offending was described as sexual gratification in this exploratory sample. ‣ An ecological framework can be used to understand the complexity and interplay between the individual, relationships, social, cultural and environmental factors associated with CSE. ‣ There are gaps in research knowledge as to whether the factors identified as associated with CSE perpetration are variable risk markers or fixed risk markers and whether these are casual risk factors that could be targeted in interventions. ‣ Little is known about the role and relevance of protective factors which can potentially mitigate perpetration. Implications and recommendations This is a difficult group to research, as they are largely 'hidden' in criminal justice system processes. A complex range of factors are associated with the commission of CSE, which means that there is no simple way of preventing individuals from perpetrating this type of offending. However, the evidence is still limited and we do not have a clear picture of the range of factors that lead to CSE offending, particularly across the wide range of offences that meet the definition of CSE. More research is therefore needed: for example, with a larger, national sample of individuals who have sexually exploited children and a wider range of CSE offences than has been captured in this exploratory study Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 3: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%203%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20perspectives%20of%20adults%20who%20have%20sexually%20exploited%20children.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%203%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20perspectives%20of%20adults%20who%20have%20sexually%20exploited%20children.pdf Shelf Number: 149209 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer Crimes Internet CrimesIntervention Programs Pornography Sex Offender Treatment Sex Offenders Social Media |
Author: Walker, Kate Title: Characteristics and motivations of perpetrators of child sexual exploitation: A rapid evidence assessment of research Summary: There is a lack of information about individuals who perpetrate child sexual exploitation (CSE) offences. This report describes one of three research projects to build an evidence base about this population. The project's aims were to: ‣ investigate the characteristics of those who commit CSE ‣ identify the nature and dynamics of their behaviours, their motivations and the way they target and exploit their victims. The report will be of interest to frontline practitioners, service providers, commissioners of services, policy makers, researchers and academics. Method A rapid review was conducted, finding 50 studies/reports where the offences met the definition of CSE and information could be extracted about perpetrators' characteristics, behaviours, motivations and methods of targeting/exploiting their victims. Key findings and gaps in research knowledge ‣ The majority of studies were conducted in the UK (19) and USA (18), with four conducted in Canada, three in New Zealand, two in France and one in each of Australia, Mexico, Germany and Sweden. It is important to note that some of these studies reviewed and/or combined the findings from a number of published studies, so each study's findings were not necessarily specific to its country of origin. ‣ The majority (37) of studies were of offenders who have committed exclusively online CSE offences, with only 10 examining non-online CSE offences and three covering both online and 'offline' offences; very limited knowledge was obtained regarding other types of CSE, such as CSE perpetrated within groups and gangs; offences such as human trafficking for, or resulting in, sexual exploitation; and the purchasing of sexual contact. This limits the extent to which the review's findings and observations can be generalised. ‣ Across the studies there were many methodological limitations such as inconsistencies in the definition of CSE, comparisons between groups of sexual offenders only (with a lack of other offender or non-offender control groups), lack of typical or normative data comparisons, and reliance on correlational data. These limit the potential to draw conclusions about causal influences. ‣ Perpetrators were generally identified as male, white and aged between 18 and 85 years (with the average age in individual studies ranging from 30 to 46 years); a high proportion were employed, with a large number of these in professional jobs. ‣ Mental health characteristics and psychological characteristics (personality traits) were examined only in relation to online CSE offences, and no research examined them in relation to other forms of CSE, e.g. CSE perpetrated in gangs or groups. ‣ In relation to online CSE, owing to methodological challenges and insufficient research it is impossible to isolate specific mental health or psychological characteristics that have a causal relationship with this type of offence. However, factors such as depression, anxiety, stress and suicidal ideation are most likely to be relevant. ‣ The evidence is weaker for psychological characteristics being associated with CSE; however, some attachment styles (e.g. not securely attached, fearful attachment) were associated with this group, and the formation of relationships appeared to be problematic. ‣ There was limited research that identified the motivations of CSE perpetrators; the studies that did so were generally those looking to develop typologies and categories of online offenders. The two key motivations found were sexual and financial. ‣ There was no research that specifically identified the way that perpetrators targeted/ exploited their victims, beyond explaining the context within which the exploitation occurred (i.e. online exploitation, gangs or trafficking/commercial dealings). It may be that such information could be located within the literature on victim-survivors, but including and analysing research on victim-survivors was beyond the scope of the current review. Implications and recommendations There is very little reliable information about the characteristics of individuals who perpetrate CSE offences, particularly those who do not commit offences in or using online environments. This significantly limits our ability to identify potential offenders and situations to target and design prevention strategies. More research is required to fully understand the characteristics and motivations of CSE perpetrators. That research will need to: ‣ have consistency and clarity regarding the definition of this type of offending and the different contexts within which it occurs ‣ use methodological research designs that allow differences and causal pathways to be reliably identified - for example, including appropriate non-offender control groups, longitudinal methods and large sample sizes (although this may be unrealistic, as studies are generally based on small, convicted samples by necessity) Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 2: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%202%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20motivations%20of%20perpetrators%20of%20CSE.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%202%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20motivations%20of%20perpetrators%20of%20CSE.pdf Shelf Number: 149210 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer Crimes Internet Crimes Intervention Programs Pornography Sex Offender Treatment Sex Offenders Social Media |
Author: Hackett, Simon Title: Young people who engage in child sexual exploitation behaviours: An exploratory study Summary: Despite increasing awareness of child sexual exploitation (CSE) across the UK in recent years, there remain gaps in current knowledge and understanding - including in relation to young people who perpetrate acts of CSE. In contrast to the wider research base for harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) in childhood and adolescence, which has developed significantly in recent years, there is little in the literature specifically on the topic of young people who engage in sexually exploitative behaviours. This report describes one of three research projects commissioned by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse to build an evidence base about perpetrators of CSE. The project aimed to investigate: - the backgrounds of young people identifi ed for CSE concerns as perpetrators - the nature and range of their sexual behaviours - the range of victims targeted - other off ending behaviours displayed by the young people. Method Anonymised data was obtained from electronic records held by a police-led, multiagency initiative which focuses on CSE and on missing children. Consisting of 14 cases, the data are a convenience and non-probability sample which represent a significant minority of the cases becoming known to this 'CSE team' over a 24- month period where an alleged perpetrator was under the age of 18 at the point of their harmful or exploitative sexual behaviours. This study therefore drew only on existing secondary data already available to the CSE team; it was beyond the study's scope to conduct interviews with professionals involved in the cases, or with the young people and their families directly. The electronic records contained considerable and detailed information compiled by a wide range of agencies over a substantial period of time. Key fi ndings Because of the small sample size and the reliance on official case records which may be partial and limited, the following findings should be regarded as at best indicative. - All young people in the sample were male and white British. - Their current age ranged between 14 and 21 years old, with the overwhelming majority aged over 16; this is an older sample than many reported in the literature on HSB. Their age at the point when concerning sexual behaviours fi rst emerged ranged from 7 to 18 years old; in contrast to other demographic studies of young people with HSB, which have indicated substantial early-onset trajectories, only one case indicated a pattern of pre-adolescent sexual behaviour problems. - Experiences of adversity were found in the developmental histories of 10 of the 14 young people. The most commonly reported factor was domestic violence, followed by physical and sexual abuse and neglect. Previous studies of young people with HSB have reported higher rates of previous victimisation. - Twelve of the young people had longstanding non-sexual off ending histories: theft, burglary, criminal damage and general antisocial behaviours were extensive and pervasive. All the young people appear to fi t the 'generalist' category of HSB off ender, whose sexual off ending appears to be more directed towards peers as part of a broader catalogue of deviance and non-sexual off ending trajectories. - A model proposed by Ward and Siegert (2002) describes fi ve primary developmental pathways leading into sexually abusive behaviours. Many of the young people in the sample appear to fi t into the antisocial thinking pathway, where an underlying propensity towards general deviance and antisocial behaviour becomes sexualised during puberty. - In all cases, the concerns about young people's sexual behaviours related to a young person off ending alone or to pairs of young people whose behaviours appeared interlinked and inter-infl uenced. There were no 'gang-related' or larger group incidents of HSB or CSE. - Whilst all 14 young people had targeted female victims, only one was known to have sexually off ended against a male (in addition to multiple female victims). HSB towards teenage peers was preceded in only three cases by sexual abuse of prepubescent children. Previous research into young people's HSB has identifi ed signifi cant proportions of male victims and victims aged 10 or below. - The young people were typically involved in multiple and in some cases escalating harmful sexual behaviours: nine engaged in exploitative or harmful sexual behaviours online or using social media, accompanied in most cases by contact sexual exploitation or sexual abuse. There was not strong evidence of a clear progression from online to offl ine HSB: it was just as likely for offl ine HSB to precede online behaviours. Implications and recommendations The impression gained from this pilot study is of young people who engage in CSE behaviours as a generally very deviant group whose sexual and non-sexual behaviours are disinhibited, chaotic and non-boundaried. The small scale of this study, and the use of data from one team with a particular focus and operating model, limits the conclusions that can be drawn; nevertheless, the study's tentative findings should be investigated in more detail. In some of the cases examined, it was possible to see a progression from sexual assaults or sexually abusive behaviour without overt elements of exchange towards more 'CSEtype' behaviours over time. It may be that CSE-type behaviours in adolescence, much more so than more general HSB, are more strongly related to general deviance than a history of sexual victimisation; if so, this has significant implications for both intervention approaches and prevention activities. However, it was difficult to separate the young people's behaviours meaningfully and neatly into categories of CSE and HSB. Whilst all cases fitted widely used definitions of HSB, the extent to which they are accompanied by overt elements of exchange (as would fit the definition of CSE) was much less clear in many cases. The sexual behaviours of all the young people in the sample required disruption, management and intervention - but it is unclear whether that should be undertaken by a CSE team or an HSB team. This perhaps reflects the present inadequacy of using distinct sets of language and concepts (CSE and HSB) and service frameworks to respond to the problem of transgressive sexual behaviour in adolescence. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 1: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%201%20-%20Young%20people%20who%20engage%20in%20CSE%20behaviours.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%201%20-%20Young%20people%20who%20engage%20in%20CSE%20behaviours.pdf Shelf Number: 149211 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sex OffendersChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesIntervention ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Radford, Lorraine Title: A review of international survey methodology on child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation Summary: This review was commissioned by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse to inform its work on improving data currently collected in England and Wales. Unlike previous reviews which have looked at findings on prevalence rates within and across different countries, this study looked at differences in self-report survey methodologies to research rates of victimisation and perpetration. The aims of the review were to: - identify methodologically different surveys undertaken in countries outside England and Wales that specifically focus on, or include, child sexual abuse (CSA) - identify questions used in surveys to assess the scale and nature of CSA - including any questions regarding child sexual exploitation (CSE), and those exploring abuse or grooming that takes place online - and comment on their relative effectiveness - explore the survey methods used, and identify what worked well in achieving a good response rate - explore the sampling strategies used, including any use of booster samples to reach underrepresented or identified vulnerable groups - identify questions, survey methods and sampling strategies used to explore potential and actual perpetration of CSA - discuss what identified good practice would be replicable in the UK context, and to what extent this would allow comparisons to be made across countries. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/research-publications/scale-and-nature-of-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation/a-review-of-international-survey-methodology-on-child-sexual-abuse-and-child-sexual-exploitation/ Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/research-publications/scale-and-nature-of-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation/a-review-of-international-survey-methodology-on-child-sexual-abuse-and-child-sexual-exploitation/ Shelf Number: 149212 Keywords: Child Grooming Child Pornography Child Sex OffendersChild Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer Crimes Internet Crimes Sex Offender Treatment Sex Offenders |
Author: Kaur, Kam Title: Local commissioning of services addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation in England Summary: On behalf of the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse, Cordis Bright undertook an independent review in spring 2017 of how child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSA/CSE) services were commissioned in five local areas in England. The review sought to clarify local approaches developed through local authorities, health and wellbeing boards, Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioners (OPCCs), NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). It aimed to identify challenges, weaknesses and strengths in current local commissioning which might be of broader interest. Commissioners' views were also sought on the support they were looking for, including how the Centre of expertise might help. Following a review of the literature, Cordis Bright conducted interviews with 30 commissioners, commissioning partners, service providers and local practitioner experts across the five local areas. In view of the link with CSA/CSE, harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) was included in the review as it progressed. Limitations The review was a rapid research exercise informed by evidence from five sites. Whilst these sites provide a degree of diversity, the findings will not fully reflect experiences in all locations in England, and do not incorporate experiences in Wales. The findings reflect a point in time (spring 2017) and should be considered with reference to emerging developments which may influence change, such as the impending release by the NHS of its strategy on sexual abuse. The review focused on local commissioning and does not provide direct insight into centralised commissioning processes. However, some of its findings may be useful to decision-makers in that context. Findings The findings, drawn from the interviews, are summarised thematically here. A key caveat to the findings is the fact that the fieldwork was limited to five local authority areas in England. A theme underpinning many of the findings, and reported in all five areas, is the impact of the current economic climate on local service provision. Stakeholders reported that local commissioners' budgets are diminishing, as is the independently generated income of voluntary and community sector (VCS) service providers. Commissioning challenges Local commissioners were said to face a number of common challenges: - The high profile accorded to CSE by central government has been beneficial, but has not yet been extended to CSA and HSB. - Whilst CSE service commissioning practice appear well-developed, CSA and HSB services are not commissioned (or delivered in-house) with the same transparency and robustness. - The use of short-term contracts (usually lasting three years) limits VCS partnership/investment opportunities. - Good commissioning partnerships (with other commissioners or the VCS) will require a significant amount of investment to develop and maintain. - Cuts to commissioning teams limit the scope and quality of commissioning activity. - There needs to be more detail on CSA/CSE and HSB, including online elements of abuse, in local population needs assessments. - Health bodies and schools are not always seen by others as engaged as full partners in the commissioning of local CSA/CSE and HSB services. - There is no quality assurance framework to ensure that schools have appropriate safeguarding care pathways or commissioned CSA/CSE/HSB response services. - There is no consensus on good outcomes measurement - in particular focusing on 'distance travelled' for an individual (emotional wellbeing, improvement in relationship with family and friends, access to positive alternative activities and engagement in learning) - for CSA/CSE and HSB services. Stakeholders wanted: - CSA and HSB to be included in CSE commissioning governance, reported as usually being overseen by the Director of Children's Services and a local safeguarding children board (LSCB) subgroup - mental health trusts to have in place governance and partnership arrangements focusing on CSA/ CSE recovery - more focus from the OPCCs on children and young people, including funding for the vital role of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) - all areas to have an explicit, integrated CSA, CSE and HSB strategy - national CSA/CSE and HSB commissioning guidance which minimises contract-monitoring activity. Gaps in commissioned services Local areas expressed concerns including the following: - There has been a significant reduction in prevention services for CSE and HSB. More investment is required from schools, public health budgets and CCGs. - There has not been any CSA prevention work. - There has been a significant reduction in school nursing services. Nurses have been a key contact for identification/disclosure of CSA/CSE. - Responding to online abuse needs to be included in local CSA/CSE and HSB services. - The regionalisation of the SARCs may be supported on medical grounds, but has increased travel time for children and young people. Additionally, more follow-up counselling support sessions funded through SARCs are needed. - There is a significant shortfall in follow-up or recovery services for children who have experienced CSA/CSE and/or HSB. Where budgets are not protected for existing services, the services risk losing the flexibility needed for victims to disclose and recover. - Transition from children's to adults' services is difficult for survivors of CSA and CSE. - The volume of HSB is growing, but services are reducing. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/research-publications/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-england/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-england/ Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/research-publications/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-england/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-en Shelf Number: 149216 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesIntervention ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex OffendersSexual Assault |
Author: Interpol Title: Towards a Global Indicator on Unidentified Victims in Child Sexual Exploitation Material: Technical Report Summary: This report presents the results of a two-part analysis of the multi-country data set contained in the International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) Database housed at INTERPOL and of consultations with law enforcement personnel in relation to the identification of victims and offenders pictured in Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) seized by law enforcement around the world. It forms one component of a larger programme of the ICSE Database enhancement activities financed by the European Union and carried out between 2016 and 2018 under the title International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database Connectivity and Awareness Raising Enhancements (I-CARE) Project. A ground-breaking cooperation between INTERPOL and ECPAT International, the study is broader in country coverage and possibly in other dimensions than any other previously analysed and publicly reported on. It responds to widespread recognition of the scarcity of reliable data and research on CSAM and CSEM to inform evidence-based policy and programmes to tackle the issue and protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse across the world. It highlights the urgent need to develop representative international baselines of empirical data on the victimisation of children depicted in CSAM and CSEM, and to enhance the response by law enforcement agencies around the world to this problem. The analysis has been subject to a number of legal, institutional and ethical conditions, which have been duly and carefully considered, and which have been addressed in the exercise. Taken together, a comprehensive perspective on the overall database contents, and a mix of quantitative and qualitative findings from a selected sample of observations, has produced a broad range of findings, whose statistical validity has been confirmed by an expert reviewer. The study provides insight based on visual analysis of images and videos into the profile of unidentified child victims and their abusers, including age, gender, and type and severity of abuse, and further presents the results of analysis of case-related metadata for cases recorded as both identified and unidentified in the ICSE Database. It highlights the multi-faceted challenges presented to the law enforcement and child protection community by rapid evolutions in the means available for online child exploitation and abuse as a distinct subset of child sexual abuse and exploitation, and the increasingly complex role played by youth-produced sexual content in this landscape. Through analysis of confirmed and suspected locations of abuse as recorded in the ICSE Database, the study also considers the relationship between resource allocation for victim identification and rates of identification worldwide. The study acknowledges that there are qualitative limitations inherent in the multi-country and multi-user data set of the ICSE Database, but also highlights the unique nature of the data set resulting from this diverse user base. This in turn underlines the distinctive position and potential of the ICSE Database for further technological evolutions, country connections, and as a tool in victim identification efforts, and reinforces the usefulness the ICSE Database for further research and as focal point for future efforts to build a global indicator. Details: Bangkok: ECPAT, 2018. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2018 at: http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Technical-Report-TOWARDS-A-GLOBAL-INDICATOR-ON-UNIDENTIFIED-VICTIMS-IN-CHILD-SEXUAL-EXPLOITATION-MATERIAL.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Technical-Report-TOWARDS-A-GLOBAL-INDICATOR-ON-UNIDENTIFIED-VICTIMS-IN-CHILD-SEXUAL-EXPLOITATION-MATERIAL.pdf Shelf Number: 149496 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProstitutionChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesOnline VictimizationSex Trafficking |
Author: ECPAT International Title: Regional Overview: Combating The Sexual Exploitation of Children in South Asia: Evolving Trends, Existing Responses and Future Priorities Summary: This report offers an overview of the sexual exploitation of children (SEC), including in its commercial forms (CSEC), as it emerges in the eight countries that form South Asia - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - and are members of SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. A special focus is placed on three manifestations characterising the regional context, namely, online child sexual exploitation (OCSE), SEC in travel and tourism (SECTT) and SEC in child, early and forced marriage (CEFM). Research studies and regular data generation on issues relating to child sexual abuse and exploitation are scanty in the region because of the cultural sensitivity around the problem and lack of regular programme monitoring systems. This study seeks to offer an overview of the situation of children at risk or victims of SEC on the basis of existing evidence by - Exploring emerging socio-economic drivers compounding the problem; - Analysing the main manifestations of SEC in the specific regional context; - Reviewing the policy and legal responses that enable or, to the contrary, hinder child protection and safety, further calling attention to persisting gaps; and - Finally proposing a set of actions necessary to move forward in the fight against sexual violence against children in South Asia. In 2014, ECPAT had produced a similar document titled The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in South Asia. Developments, Progress, Challenges and Recommended Strategies for Civil Society. The present situation analysis not only provides an update of the earlier study, but also a new perspective on the problem. It investigates the various issues relating to SEC from the point of view of a society taking a new development path and undergoing a phase of fast and profound transformation. The point of observation is that of a complex change encompassing substantial economic growth, rapid urbanisation and migration. Increased wealth and mobility, together with the fast penetration of information and communication technologies, are offering unprecedented opportunities to the young generations of South Asians and opening new windows on the rest of the world. The same transformations, however, also expose young people to the risks typically associated with modern living, lifestyles and worldviews. Section 1 of the report, the Introduction, seeks to sketch the backdrop against which SEC is occurring in South Asia as the new does not necessarily replace the old, but rather leads to a stratification of pre-existing and recent manifestations of sexual abuse, exploitation and violence. South Asia is a land of contrasts. As the region is poised to become, with the rest of Asia, the largest global market of the future, a sizeable portion of its population still lives in subsistence economies and traditional communities. The region ranks at the very top globally in a number of significant areas. Economically, South Asia is the fastest growing region worldwide; socially, it is leading the urbanisation of the planet (with the rest of Asia and Africa); and technologically, India alone is one of the three markets with the highest numbers of mobile accounts among young people in the South of the world. However, despite such impressive progress, globally the region still accounts for the largest concentration of people living in absolute poverty; displays some of the worst human development outcomes in areas such as healthcare, schooling and per capita expenditure or income; hosts the majority of modern slaves trapped in forced prostitution, forced marriage, forced labour and organ trafficking; is home to the largest number of child brides and child labourers; is responsible for the bulk of the out-of-school children (together with West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa); and, jointly with Sub-Saharan Africa, accounts for over three quarters of child deaths caused by climate change in recent decades. If history is any guide, the constantly growing size and speed of human and financial flows in the absence of adequate protection policies for vulnerable populations may lead to a hike in sexual violence against children in the future. Research activities in the realm of SEC will need to increasingly focus on such influential trends to analyse how systemic change may impact the safety and protection of children by transforming the root causes of child abuse. Within this backdrop, Section 2 analytically reviews several manifestations of SEC as these emerge in a number of settings such as - Information and communication technologies, whose penetration in South Asia has been growing at a substantially faster pace than other kinds of infrastructure and services necessary for human development, while also, in parallel, rapidly multiplying risks relating primarily to the creation and trade of child sexual abuse material by perpetrators displaying a sexual interest in children, and to sexual harassment and extortion of children online by perpetrators generally known to the victims; - Travel and tourism, in the context of rising trends in international tourist arrivals, matched with a steady increase in domestic travellers who can now reach out to children in novel settings such as homestays or childcare institutions; - Child, early and forced marriage (CEFM), which local cultures may view as a form of protection from sexual harassment for adolescent girls rather than as a condition that can expose girls and women to life-long systematic sexual violence; - Child trafficking still persisting in South Asian countries, despite efforts in this area having been more systematised and institutionalised than in others over time; - Sexual exploitation of children (SEC), continuing in the context of the traditional sex trade and now evolving in technology-facilitated forms; - Child labour, often unrecognised as a vast reservoir for sexual exploitation, but in fact being a major channel to SEC, especially in certain occupations, such as domestic labour, widespread across South Asia; and - Humanitarian crises, conflicts and environmental disasters, which dramatically exacerbate the pre-existing vulnerabilities of children and weaken the capacity of poor communities to protect their families. Section 3 reviews existing legal, policy and programme responses being implemented at local, national and regional levels to address SEC in the areas highlighted in the previous section, while also seeking to identify major gaps and challenges. All South Asian countries have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPSC), in addition to other important regional instruments (such as the SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combatting Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution, and the SAARC Convention on Regional Arrangements for the Promotion of Child Welfare in South Asia). However, the Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons has been fully ratified by only Afghanistan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka, while none of the SAARC countries has so far developed national legislation harmonised with the OPSC, specific laws addressing issues such as SECTT or OCSE, or substantive extraterritorial jurisdiction. Progressive policies have been designed in the areas of protection of children from sexual offences, trafficking, child labour and early marriage by most countries in the region, while initial attempts have been made to respond to online threats, mainly by setting up webbased portals aimed at spreading information on child trafficking, tracking down trafficked and missing children, and supporting confidential reporting. Lack of proper awareness, implementation and enforcement, however, emerges as the main challenge with regard to the implementation of policies and laws. In addition to efforts by governments, the growing South Asian private sector has also started contributing proactively, especially by adopting more stringent corporate social responsibility (CSR) guidelines. Its involvement in the realm of SEC, however, remains rather limited, especially with reference to the ICT and travel and tourism industries whose role in preventing harm by online and travelling child sex predators would be particularly relevant. Civil society organisations continue to play a key role in the fight against the various manifestations of SEC, although the scope of their interventions may be normally limited to the local level and not always receive adequate support or recognition by the government. Children's and young people's groups have become more active in combatting SEC, even though they need more opportunities to access sexuality education, enhance awareness about online and offline threats, and gain further agency. An important platform for coordination among the various partners involved is the South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC), a SAARC Apex body acting, since 2005, as an inter-governmental mechanism committed to promoting the rights and protection of children at the regional level. Especially relevant in the context of SEC has been the recent 4th SAIEVAC Ministerial Meeting, held from 9-11 May 2016 in New Delhi, which led to a joint commitment by SAARC Member States to frame a region-wide strategy with the aim of tackling the sexual of children, especially online, through trafficking, and in travel and tourism. Details: Bangkok: ECPAT, 2017. 168p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2018 at: http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Regional-Overview_South-Asia.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Asia URL: http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Regional-Overview_South-Asia.pdf Shelf Number: 149500 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Prostitution Child ProtectionChild Sex TourismChild Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer Crimes Internet Crimes |
Author: Symantec Title: Internet Security Threat Report. Volume 23 Summary: From the sudden spread of WannaCry and Petya/NotPetya, to the swift growth in coin miners, 2017 provided us with another reminder that digital security threats can come from new and unexpected sources. With each passing year, not only has the sheer volume of threats increased, but the threat landscape has become more diverse, with attackers working harder to discover new avenues of attack and cover their tracks while doing so. Coin mining attacks explode Cyber criminals who have been firmly focused on ransomware for revenue generation are now starting to explore other opportunities. During the past year, the astronomical rise in crypto currency values inspired many cyber criminals to shift to coin mining as an alternative revenue source. This coin mining gold rush resulted in an 8,500 percent increase in detections of coinminers on endpoint computers in 2017. With a low barrier of entry-only requiring a couple lines of code to operate-cyber criminals are using coin miners to steal computer processing power and cloud CPU usage from consumers and enterprises to mine crypto currency. While the immediate impact of coin mining is typically performance related-slowing down devices, overheating batteries, and in some cases, rendering devices unusable-there are broader implications, particularly for organizations. Corporate networks are at risk of shutdown from coin miners aggressively propagated across their environment. There may also be financial implications for organizations who find themselves billed for cloud CPU usage by coin miners. As malicious coin mining evolves, IoT devices will continue to be ripe targets for exploitation. Symantec already found a 600 percent increase in overall IoT attacks in 2017, which means that cyber criminals could exploit the connected nature of these devices to mine en masse. Despite the Eternal Blue exploit wreaking havoc in 2017, the reality is that vulnerabilities are becoming increasingly difficult for attackers to identify and exploit. In response to this, Symantec is now seeing an increase in attackers injecting malware implants into the supply chain to infiltrate unsuspecting organizations, with a 200 percent increase in these attacks-one every month of 2017 as compared to four attacks annually in years prior. Hijacking software updates provides attackers with an entry point for compromising well-protected targets, or to target a specific region or sector. The Petya/NotPetya (Ransom.Petya) outbreak was the most notable example: After exploiting Ukrainian accounting software as the point of entry, Petya/ NotPetya used a variety of methods, spreading across corporate networks to deploy the attackers' malicious payload. When viewed as a business, it's clear that ransomware profitability in 2016 led to a crowded market, with overpriced ransom demands. In 2017, the ransomware 'market' made a correction with fewer ransomware families and lower ransom demands-signaling that ransomware has become a commodity. Many cyber criminals may have shifted their focus to coin mining as an alternative to cash in while crypto currency values are high. Some online banking threats have also experienced a renaissance as established ransomware groups have attempted to diversify. Last year, the average ransom demand dropped to $522, less than half the average of the year prior. And while the number of ransomware variants increased by 46 percent, indicating the established criminal groups are still quite productive, the number of ransomware families dropped, suggesting they are innovating less and may have shifted their focus to new, higher value targets Symantec has found that overall targeted attack activity is up by 10 percent in 2017, motivated primarily by intelligence gathering (90 percent). However, a not-so-insignificant 10 per cent of attack groups engage in some form of disruptive activity. The 'living off the land' trend continues with attack groups opting for tried-and-trusted means to infiltrate target organizations. Spearphishing is the number one infection vector, employed by 71 percent of organized groups in 2017. The use of zero days continues to fall out of favor. In fact, only 27 percent of the 140 targeted attack groups that Symantec tracks have been known to use zero-day vulnerabilities at any point in the past. Threats in the mobile space continue to grow year-over-year. The number of new mobile malware variants increased by 54 percent in 2017, as compared to 2016. And last year, an average of 24,000 malicious mobile applications were blocked each day. While threats are on the increase, the problem is exacerbated by the continued use of older operating systems. In particular, on Android, only 20 percent of devices are running the newest major version and only 2.3 percent are on the latest minor release. Mobile users also face privacy risks from grayware, apps that aren't completely malicious but can be troublesome. Symantec found that 63 percent of grayware apps leak the device's phone number. With grayware increasing by 20 percent in 2017, this isn't a problem that's going away. Details: Mountain View, CA: Symantic, 2018. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 27, 2018 at: https://www.symantec.com/content/dam/symantec/docs/reports/istr-23-executive-summary-en.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.symantec.com/content/dam/symantec/docs/reports/istr-23-executive-summary-en.pdf Shelf Number: 149586 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyber CrimeDigital SecurityInternet Crimes (U.S.)Internet SecuritySupply Chains |
Author: Big Brother Watch Title: Cyber attacks in local authorities: How the quest for big data is threatening cyber security Summary: Local authorities are holding ever-expanding troves of personal information about citizens. Under the banner of data-driven government, they are seeking to actively gather more information about people. So-called 'smart cities' are armed with sensors and cameras that amass data about citizens, introducing a new level of everyday surveillance in the UK. This accumulation of big data evokes not only concerns about ethics, rights and violations of privacy, but also about how equipped councils are to protect citizens' sensitive data. The number of serious cyber attacks is forecasted to significantly rise in the near future, making cyber security risks a clear priority. But is cyber security being appropriately prioritized by local authorities, or is more data collection the main focus of their digital strategies? Based on Freedom of Information requests, Big Brother Watch found that UK local authorities have experienced in excess of 98 million cyber attacks over 5 years. This means that there are at least 37 attempted breaches of UK local authorities every minute. In addition, at least 1 in 4 councils experienced a cyber security incident - that is, an actual security breach - between 2013 - 2017. While some councils have taken measures to face the ever growing threat from cyber attacks, especially the areas of staff training and reporting of successful cyber attacks need urgent attention. In 2015, Big Brother Watch exposed how local authorities commit 4 data breaches a day, predominantly caused by human error. 1 Surprisingly, our current investigation reveals that little action has been taken to increase staff awareness and education in these matters. We found that 75% of local authorities do not provide mandatory training in cyber security awareness for staff and 16% do not provide any training at all. Considering that the majority of successful cyber attacks start with phishing emails aimed at unwitting staff, 2 negligence in staff training is very concerning and only indicative of the low priority afforded to cyber security issues. Our findings further reveal that 25 local authorities experienced losses or breaches of data in the past five years as a result of cyber security incidents. Yet, 56% of councils who failed to protect data from cyber security threats did not even report the incidents. Big Brother Watch urges local authorities to review their policies with a view to mitigating the risks of cyber security incidents that threaten the security of citizens' invaluable data. 1. Local authorities must appropriately prioritize their cyber security. Instead of investing in surveillance technologies, councils should invest resources on the development of cyber security strategies and the training of staff. 2. Cyber security incidents should be consistently reported. Local authorities need to establish a simple protocol that allows them to report incidents to the right authorities, whether the police, Information Commissioner's Office or the National Cyber Security Centre. This would ensure that threats are dealt with appropriately and that authorities' propensity to attacks is monitored. Furthermore, local authorities should utilise the National Cyber Security Centre's definitions of cyber attacks and cyber security incidents to ensure consistent reporting. 3. All staff should receive mandatory training in cyber security. Cyber attacks are not only designed to breach computer systems, but also to exploit humans who are often the weakest cyber security link. The ability to identify threats must not be reserved to ICT specialists but spread throughout the staff body. With large and ever-increasing volumes of data at stake, all local authority staff should have basic cyber security awareness. Details: London: Big Brother Watch, 2018. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2018 at: https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Cyber-attacks-in-local-authorities.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Cyber-attacks-in-local-authorities.pdf Shelf Number: 150032 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeCybersecurityInternet Crime |
Author: Children's Society Title: Safety Net: Cyberbullying's impact on young people's mental health: Inquiry report Summary: Key findings Under-age use of social media is commonplace - Despite most major social media companies - including Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram - specifying that users must be 13 years old to have an account, we found that 61% of young people had a first account at age 12 or under. Children and young people are using social media for longer periods and using multiple profiles - Our survey indicated that nearly half (44%) of children and young people spend more than three hours per day on social media, whilst almost 1 in 10 (9%) reported always using social media overnight between midnight and 6am. There is a connection between intensive social media use and mental ill health - Thirty eight percent of young people reported that social media has a negative impact on how they feel about themselves, compared to 23% who reported that it has a positive impact. This was exacerbated for girls, with 46% of girls stating that social media had a negative impact on their self-esteem. Cyberbullying - a new form of bullying - Although our inquiry found that offline bullying remains the most common form of bullying, it is clear that cyberbullying is distinct and potent, particularly due to its potential to be relentless. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of cyberbullying - Children and young people who are currently experiencing a mental health problem are more than three times more likely to have been bullied online in the last year. The steps being taken by social media companies in response to cyberbullying are inconsistent and inadequate - Throughout the course of the inquiry, we heard a number of examples from social media companies about positive initiatives they have established to respond to abusive content online, such as cyberbullying, as well as promoting the mental health of their users. Young people concluded that social media companies' current responses to cyberbullying are inadequate - There is an appetite among young people for greater interventions to disrupt cyberbullying, with 83% of young people saying that social media companies should do more to tackle cyberbullying on their platforms. There is a perceived lack of consequences for those who engage in bullying behaviour - Young people told the inquiry that they feel as though the onus is on the person who is experiencing cyberbullying to act. They spoke of a perceived lack of consequences for those who engage in bullying behaviour online, in a way there is not in the offline world. Social media companies need to do more to promote positive mental health and well-being - Young people overwhelmingly told the inquiry that they wanted social media companies to do more to promote positive mental health and interactions on their platforms. - Eighty two percent of young people thought social media companies should do more to promote mental health. Details: London: Children's Society, 2018. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 7, 2018 at: https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/social-media-cyberbullying-inquiry-full-report_0.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/social-media-cyberbullying-inquiry-full-report_0.pdf Shelf Number: 150089 Keywords: Child ProtectionComputer CrimesCyberbullyingCybercrimeCybersecurityInternet CrimesOnline VictimizationSocial Media |
Author: International Centre for Missing & Exploited Chidlren Title: Online Grooming of Children for Sexual Purposes: Model Legislation & Global Review Summary: The grooming of children for sexual purposes through the Internet and related technologies is a growing problem worldwide, putting countless children at risk for sexual abuse and exploitation. Grooming is the process by which an adult establishes or builds a relationship with a child, either in person or through the use of the Internet and related technologies, to facilitate online or offline sexual contact with the child. Online grooming can be connected with a variety of different forms of sexual exploitation of children, such as the creation of child sexual abuse material and sexual assault. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) reported that in England and Wales the Internet was used to commit an average of eight sexual crimes against children, including rape, grooming, and live streaming of abuse, every day in 2015. Each year, Internet availability and accessibility continues to improve, and in turn the number of Internet users globally grows steadily - more than 50% of the world's population now actively uses Internet services. There are more than 3.8 billion Internet users worldwide today with 70% of the world's Internet users ages 15-2412 and an estimated 750,000 predators online at any given moment. Easy access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) together with a growing population of young people online makes apparent the need for comprehensive legislation and other tools to help protect children from the risk of sexual abuse Technology gives offenders access to children around the clock. A 2010 study found that US children between the ages of 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours each day on the Internet. An even earlier study of Swedish children's media habits found that 82% of children ages 9-11 and 95% of children ages 12-16 use the Internet; 28% and 54% of those same age groups respectively use the Internet daily.17 These reports demonstrate that children around the world have integrated the Internet into their lives in a way that may still be incomprehensible to many adults. Children today use the Internet every day not only to communicate with one another, but also to establish and maintain relationships with others, their social spheres often spanning both online and offline without any clear separation between the two. Some studies show that children who have experienced negative life events or maltreatment may be more vulnerable to online grooming. However, research from various industrialized countries shows that some children who have been victimized online "shared no apparent negative prior life circumstances and appeared to have been randomly targeted...," demonstrating that "there is no typical victim and the most striking thing about children abused online is their heterogeneity." Victims are most often between the ages of 13-15. Some groomers communicate with many children simultaneously as they develop relationships and, in 2012, the European Online Grooming Research Project found that "girls seem to be at greater risk than boys." Boys are shown to constitute a "substantial group of the victims," but are generally less willing to report instances of abuse. Thus, the gap in confirmed victimization between boys and girls may be smaller than some reports indicate. Online grooming occurs via email, instant messaging apps, social networking sites, chatrooms, online gaming sites, photo sharing sites, and dating apps, which can be accessed through personal computers and laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. A 2012 UK-based survey of 1,718 children aged 11-16 years old revealed that 42% received online attachments by email from strangers, 37% added a stranger to their instant messaging contacts, and 35% added a stranger to their social networking friends group. These technologies are not only popular amongst younger generations, but they also provide offenders with a platform to create a persona and, in some cases, to mask their true age and identity. In doing so, they are better able to connect with children and more easily gain their trust and cooperation, ultimately introducing a sexual element into the relationship. In particular, social networking sites are widely used for online grooming. Offenders can use the Internet and related technologies to find vulnerable children who meet their preferred sexual interests by scanning such sites to find a young person's personal information before contacting them. For example, offenders can use such sites to access profile pictures, demographic information, interests, and communications with others (i.e., news feed, status posts, comments on posts) to target victims. Offenders thus can identify the children in whom they are interested so they may contact and eventually sexually exploit them. Child Internet users are particularly open to interacting with strangers because they use social media and social networking sites as a way to meet new people, rather than solely as a way to keep in touch with people they already know. Given such openness with strangers, a cybercrime study conducted in the UK estimated that "850,000 cases of unwanted online sexual approaches were made in chat rooms during 2006 and that 238 offenses of meeting a child following sexual grooming were recorded." A 2005 US study showed that one in 25 children ages 10-17 had received aggressive sexual solicitations that included attempts to contact them offline, and one in 25 were solicited by an online offender to take sexual pictures of themselves. Just five years later, another study reported that one in 11 US children aged 10 to 17 reported receiving an unwanted sexual solicitation online. Over the last two decades, online gaming has similarly grown into a worldwide activity for adults and children alike. The functionality of online gaming platforms (computers, video game consoles, or hand-held gaming systems) has evolved and expanded to include Internet access, messaging platforms, and photo and video sharing, thus enabling people around the world to communicate and play games with each other in real-time. Sexual predators increasingly use online games as a means to easily gain access to and connect with children. Subsequently, as more and more children play video games online, the risk of children coming into contact with sexual predators has grown. The unique capabilities of video games often enable video and voice communications between a child and an offender. Online games automatically give the offender and child a common interest, bypassing some of the child's fears of establishing a relationship with a stranger. In addition, children often spend time on the gaming platforms with little or no adult supervision, thus increasing an offender's ability to build and progress a relationship. Once a trust-relationship has been established, the offender may encourage the child to communicate on other platforms like private chatrooms, instant messengers, and social media apps, further facilitating the exchange of sexual conversations and images/videos, and even live-streaming sexual acts. While the grooming process can occur in-person, online grooming often progresses more rapidly, and the offender may use a variety of techniques to persuade, pressure, and manipulate the child to cooperate, all while taking advantage of the anonymity the Internet provides. Online groomers can persuade a child to meet in less than half an hour and, according to the findings of a UK-based research team, in some cases it can take as little as 18 minutes to convince a child to meet. Likewise, a Middlesex University (London) study found that offenders, when chatting online with children, often introduce sexual topics after just three minutes, and a bond can be formed with a child after only eight minutes. The grooming process is complex and involves "trust-building, isolation and desensitization towards sexual behavior...a network of processes and strategies that do not follow always the same order." As there is no single method of grooming children, there is also no single profile of online groomers. Details: Alexandria, VA: The Centre, 2017. 67p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2018 at: http://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Online-Grooming-of-Children_FINAL_9-18-17.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: http://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Online-Grooming-of-Children_FINAL_9-18-17.pdf Shelf Number: 150267 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual Abuse |
Author: Childnet Title: Young people's experiences of online sexual harassment. Project deSHAME Summary: For most young people the internet plays an essential role in their friendships and relationships, providing positive opportunities for communication, connection and self-expression. However, for many young people, online sexual harassment is embedded in their digital lives and to some extent normalised and expected. It emerges as part of the wider dynamic of their peer group and intimate relationships. In this report, online sexual harassment is defined as unwanted sexual conduct on any digital platform and it is recognised as a form of sexual violence. Online sexual harassment encompasses a wide range of behaviours that use digital content (images, videos, posts, messages, pages) on a variety of different platforms (private or public). It can make a person feel threatened, exploited, coerced, humiliated, upset, sexualised or discriminated against. This report specifically focuses on peer-topeer online sexual harassment taking place between young people. Such harassment takes place in a gendered context, with girls being more likely to be targeted than boys - particularly for some forms of online sexual harassment - and these incidents often resulting in more negative outcomes for girls. In this report online sexual harassment has been categorised in four main types. These different behaviours are often experienced simultaneously and can overlap with offline experiences of sexual harassment. Non-consensual sharing of intimate images and videos: A person's sexual images and videos being shared without their consent or taken without their consent. Exploitation, coercion and threats: A person receiving sexual threats, being coerced to participate in sexual behaviour online, or blackmailed with sexual content. Sexualised bullying: A person being targeted by, and systematically excluded from, a group or community with the use of sexual content that humiliates, upsets or discriminates against them. Unwanted sexualisation: A person receiving unwelcome sexual requests, comments and content. The findings of the survey, focus groups and case study analysis demonstrate the prevalence of these forms of online sexual harassment and the short and long term impact on mental health and well-being they can have on young people. The research provides an indication that the experience and impact of online sexual harassment is unique to the individual and dependent on numerous intersecting factors, including actual or perceived gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, special educational need or disability. The report also highlights both the similarities and differences in the experiences of young people in Denmark, Hungary and the UK. Details: s.l.: Project deSHAME , 2017. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed May 18, 2018 at: http://www.childnet.com/ufiles/Project_deSHAME_Dec_2017_Report.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Europe URL: http://www.childnet.com/ufiles/Project_deSHAME_Dec_2017_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 150268 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimesOnline VictimizationSexual ExploitationSexual HarassmentSexual Violence |
Author: Europol Title: Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment: 2018 Summary: For the fifth year in a row, Europol has produced the Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA). The aim of this Assessment is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current, as well as anticipated future threats and trends of crimes conducted and/or facilitated online. While current events demonstrate how cybercrime continues to evolve, this year's IOCTA shows us how law enforcement has to battle both innovative as well as persistent forms of cybercrime. Many areas of the report therefore build upon previous editions, which emphasises the longevity of the many facets of cybercrime. It is also a testimony to an established cybercrime business model, where there is no need to change a successful modus operandi. The report also highlights the many challenges associated with the fight against cybercrime, both from a law enforcement and, where applicable, a private sector perspective. Details: The Hague: European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, 2018. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 25, 2018 at: https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/main-reports/internet-organised-crime-threat-assessment-iocta-2018 Year: 2018 Country: Europe URL: https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/main-reports/internet-organised-crime-threat-assessment-iocta-2018 Shelf Number: 151662 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeInternet CrimesOrganized Crime |