Week 1 – Introduction to cybercrime
Hoorcollege 1 – Daders van cybercrime
Internet users 2023
Mostly western/ Asian users in the beginning. Asia, Africa and the Middle East developed much more
in the past years.
The cost of cybercrime: is it real?
Difficult to say what the costs are. We don’t fully understand the consequences of cyberattacks, yet.
Cybercrime terminology
Different names for cybercrime. How often terminology is used in literature.
In the beginning we were talking about computer crime, because the main thing in
cybercrime were computers. Later on, however, we realised computers were not the only
thing that can be used to commit cybercrime, and the consequences are not only computer
related as well.
Cybercrime: key actors
Enablers are criminals as well, but they don’t engage themselves. They sell the services to
commit cybercrime. They don’t leave traces, so they are harder to catch.
Cybercrime definitions: why it matters
1. The way individuals define cybercrime will determine estimates about the extent of
cybercrime.
2. Definitions of cybercrime will impact consequences (or individual responses) to specific
behaviours.
, 3. Cybercrime definitions have implications for the way criminologists try to explain cyber
offending.
4. Definitions will guide intervention strategies used to respond to certain types of behaviour.
5. Definitions will guide prevention strategies used to prevent certain behaviours.
6. Definitions will determine the types of research methodologies used to study the behaviour.
7. Definitions will determine how academics teach about the behaviour.
You need to have a common understanding.
They way you define cybercrime can have great consequences. China and Russia for example
have a different idea on the definition than countries in Europe for example.
Cybercrime definitions
Trichotomies of cybercrime
o The one that we use the most nowadays is Wall (2010).
Cyberdependend = Ransomware attacks, ddos attacks and hacking.
Only possible through computers/ technology.
Cyber-enabled = Cyberbullying, piracy, phishing.
Both possible in real life and via computers/ technology.
Cybercrime definitions: the negative ‘cyber’ prefix
‘Cyber’ prefix.
o The ‘cyberhype’ effect has lost its momentum. The prefix is now mainly used to label
negative or security-related phenomena.
Regulating cyber.
o It encourages the view that traditional forms of crime regulation are insufficient.
Cyber examples.
o Cybercrime
o Cybersecurity
o Cyber threat
o Cyberattack
o Cyberbullying
o Cybersex
This leads to securization of cyber.
,Cybercrime: some conceptualization
(Deviant = Not criminal, but against society or causing problems.
Criminal = Illegal behaviour)
Traditional crime:
o Old wine in new bottles.
o Offense is the same but strategies change.
Deviant behaviour:
o Focus shifts to societal norm instead of laws.
Legal issue:
o Crime defined from a narrower perspective.
Engaging in conduct that has been outlawed by a society because it threatens
social order.
Political issue:
o Narratives of cybercrime not always based on evidence.
o Use of fear-based and sensational words.
White-collar crime:
o Crimes that are part of the offender’s occupation.
o Legitimate verses contrepreneurial crime.
Social construction:
o Behaviours constructed as social/ criminal problems, like hacking and cyberterrorism.
o Assumptions Cyberspace is pathologically unsafe and criminogenic.
Technological problem:
o More attention for the technological nature of the offenses.
Example question exam
Discuss the problem with the cybercrime definition/ conceptualization. (why is one better than the
other?)
Some major cybercrime events
, IOCTA 2023 – Europol
The problem with Europol data is that it only sees the cases that are known caught. There are lot of
cases under the radar of Europol, so this data isn’t included.
Ukraine- Russia war:
o Increased political cyberattacks (ddos).
o Increased frauds.
Online child sexual exploitation:
o Criminals’ knowledge of countermeasures increased.
Cybercriminal services are intertwined, and their efficacy is co-dependent:
o Initial access brokers (IABs).
o CAV Counter antivirus services.
o VPNs low cooperations standards.
The social engineering issue:
o Increased volume and sophistication of social engineering.
o Advanced forms of phishing (phishing kits).
o Digital payment systems hijacked through malware. Use of bots for carding.
Stolen data as central commodity:
o Criminal markets booming with stolen credentials.
o Access to high value information.
Victims targeted multiple times:
o Typical for children sexual abuses and online frauds.
Underground communities:
o Communication, knowledge-sharing, exchange of services and products.
o Growing Cybercrime as a service (CaaS).
o Info on operational security.
Hoorcollege 1 – Daders van cybercrime
Internet users 2023
Mostly western/ Asian users in the beginning. Asia, Africa and the Middle East developed much more
in the past years.
The cost of cybercrime: is it real?
Difficult to say what the costs are. We don’t fully understand the consequences of cyberattacks, yet.
Cybercrime terminology
Different names for cybercrime. How often terminology is used in literature.
In the beginning we were talking about computer crime, because the main thing in
cybercrime were computers. Later on, however, we realised computers were not the only
thing that can be used to commit cybercrime, and the consequences are not only computer
related as well.
Cybercrime: key actors
Enablers are criminals as well, but they don’t engage themselves. They sell the services to
commit cybercrime. They don’t leave traces, so they are harder to catch.
Cybercrime definitions: why it matters
1. The way individuals define cybercrime will determine estimates about the extent of
cybercrime.
2. Definitions of cybercrime will impact consequences (or individual responses) to specific
behaviours.
, 3. Cybercrime definitions have implications for the way criminologists try to explain cyber
offending.
4. Definitions will guide intervention strategies used to respond to certain types of behaviour.
5. Definitions will guide prevention strategies used to prevent certain behaviours.
6. Definitions will determine the types of research methodologies used to study the behaviour.
7. Definitions will determine how academics teach about the behaviour.
You need to have a common understanding.
They way you define cybercrime can have great consequences. China and Russia for example
have a different idea on the definition than countries in Europe for example.
Cybercrime definitions
Trichotomies of cybercrime
o The one that we use the most nowadays is Wall (2010).
Cyberdependend = Ransomware attacks, ddos attacks and hacking.
Only possible through computers/ technology.
Cyber-enabled = Cyberbullying, piracy, phishing.
Both possible in real life and via computers/ technology.
Cybercrime definitions: the negative ‘cyber’ prefix
‘Cyber’ prefix.
o The ‘cyberhype’ effect has lost its momentum. The prefix is now mainly used to label
negative or security-related phenomena.
Regulating cyber.
o It encourages the view that traditional forms of crime regulation are insufficient.
Cyber examples.
o Cybercrime
o Cybersecurity
o Cyber threat
o Cyberattack
o Cyberbullying
o Cybersex
This leads to securization of cyber.
,Cybercrime: some conceptualization
(Deviant = Not criminal, but against society or causing problems.
Criminal = Illegal behaviour)
Traditional crime:
o Old wine in new bottles.
o Offense is the same but strategies change.
Deviant behaviour:
o Focus shifts to societal norm instead of laws.
Legal issue:
o Crime defined from a narrower perspective.
Engaging in conduct that has been outlawed by a society because it threatens
social order.
Political issue:
o Narratives of cybercrime not always based on evidence.
o Use of fear-based and sensational words.
White-collar crime:
o Crimes that are part of the offender’s occupation.
o Legitimate verses contrepreneurial crime.
Social construction:
o Behaviours constructed as social/ criminal problems, like hacking and cyberterrorism.
o Assumptions Cyberspace is pathologically unsafe and criminogenic.
Technological problem:
o More attention for the technological nature of the offenses.
Example question exam
Discuss the problem with the cybercrime definition/ conceptualization. (why is one better than the
other?)
Some major cybercrime events
, IOCTA 2023 – Europol
The problem with Europol data is that it only sees the cases that are known caught. There are lot of
cases under the radar of Europol, so this data isn’t included.
Ukraine- Russia war:
o Increased political cyberattacks (ddos).
o Increased frauds.
Online child sexual exploitation:
o Criminals’ knowledge of countermeasures increased.
Cybercriminal services are intertwined, and their efficacy is co-dependent:
o Initial access brokers (IABs).
o CAV Counter antivirus services.
o VPNs low cooperations standards.
The social engineering issue:
o Increased volume and sophistication of social engineering.
o Advanced forms of phishing (phishing kits).
o Digital payment systems hijacked through malware. Use of bots for carding.
Stolen data as central commodity:
o Criminal markets booming with stolen credentials.
o Access to high value information.
Victims targeted multiple times:
o Typical for children sexual abuses and online frauds.
Underground communities:
o Communication, knowledge-sharing, exchange of services and products.
o Growing Cybercrime as a service (CaaS).
o Info on operational security.
