Russell G. Smith - Cybercrime Risks and Responses: Eastern and Western Perspectives

Cybercrime Risks and Responses

Palgrave Macmillans Studies in Cybercrime and Cybersecurity

This book series addresses the urgent need to advance knowledge in the fields of cybercrime and cybersecurity. Because the exponential expansion of computer technologies and use of the Internet have greatly increased the access by criminals to people, institutions, and businesses around the globe, the series will be international in scope. It provides a home for cutting-edge long-form research. Further, the series seeks to spur conversation about how traditional criminological theories apply to the online environment. The series welcomes contributions from early career researchers as well as established scholars on a range of topics in the cybercrime and cybersecurity fields.

Series Editors:

MARIE-HELEN MARAS is Associate Professor and Deputy Chair for Security at the Department of Security, Fire, and Emergency Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, USA.

THOMAS J. HOLT is Associate Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University, USA.

Titles include:

Amitai Etzioni
PRIVACY IN CYBER AGE
Policy and Practice

Frederic Lemiux (editor)
CURRENT AND EMERGING TRENDS IN STRATEGIC CYBER OPERATIONS
Policy, Strategy and Practice

Russell G. Smith, Ray Chak-Chung Cheung and Laurie Yiu-Chung Lau (editors)
CYBERCRIME RISKS AND RESPONSES
Eastern and Western Perspectives

Eastern and Western Perspectives

Edited by

Russell G. Smith

Australian Institute of Criminology

Ray Chak-Chung Cheung

City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

Laurie Yiu-Chung Lau

Asia Pacific Association of Technology and Society, Hong Kong SAR

Introduction, selection and editorial matter Russell G. Smith, Ray Chak-Chung Cheung and Laurie Yiu-Chung Lau 2015

Foreword Charles Mok 2015

Remaining chapters Contributors 2015

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First published 2015 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN

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ISBN: 9781137474155

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For
Melinda,
Vicky, and Raisie
and
Lau Cheung Kwai Lan and Lam Ding Kwong, at peace

In the summer of 2013, the International Conference on Cyber Crime and Computer Forensic was held by the Asia Pacific Association of Technology and Society (APATAS) in Hong Kong, and I had the privilege of meeting experts and researchers in the field of cybercrime. Several important themes have emerged from that dialogue. The proliferation of cybercrime has grown at an unprecedented speed, and as a Legislative Council member representing the information technology sector and an advocate for a free and open Internet, I am glad to witness the immense effort put into the preparation of this volume of research addressing Eastern and Western perspectives on cybercrimes.

Cybercrimes are increasingly sophisticated and organized, and the stakes are becoming higher. As shown in the hacks of bitcoin exchange and a US film company, skilled terrorist groups and hacktivists are becoming more active. Cybercrime has also evolved into a tool of chasing big money, stealing confidential information, and even making a political stand. The days when the stereotypical hackers were curious, tech-savvy coders trying to prove their skills are now far behind. Cybercrime has evolved in scale and format, with both unauthorized access to information and dissemination of illegal content being common across borders. The cost of cybercrime to individuals, corporations, and governments skyrockets, and the resources needed to trace, attribute, and convict criminals have also grown. Meanwhile, authorities and law enforcement agencies are often outpaced by the speed and skill of criminals, making policing an outsized challenge. At this juncture, the need for a systematic study on the trends, risks, and implications of cybercrimes as well as other emerging trends on social network is becoming ever more pressing.

This publication is highly relevant to not only academic researchers on cybercrime; it also offers visionary assessments for those in arenas potentially affected by technology criminals and for those decision-makers who would like to deepen their understanding of the issues. Its balanced blend of updated perspectives, inclusion of different response tactics used in countries with different cultures, and the contributors observations on how cyber terrorism, organized cybercrime, and technology-enabled financial crimes will further evolve, provide readers with solid discussions and sharp insights on the issues. Throughout the chapters, there is a discussion on risk profiles in different regions and their varied models of response through prevention and enforcement activities across East and West. Themes that emerged from the conference in 2013, including cybercrime versus national security, cyber-crowdsourcing versus privacy, hacktivism and human rights versus government transparency and openness are well discussed in depth in essays of this book, and they are of the utmost significance in todays evolving cybercrime landscape.

Contemporary risks explored in this volume including threats to national security, spam, cyber terrorism, fraud, and sexually explicit content are challenges common to countries regardless of location. Some call cybercrime a new industry not entirely an exaggeration, for the revenue criminals are making from it. In 2011, Britain's Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance reported that the total cost of cybercrime to the British economy was 27 billion (or USD$43.5 billion) per year (Detica and Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance 2011). As security software company McAfee puts it, cybercrime is a growth industry with high returns and low risks. Their estimation in 2014 reported an approximate annual cost of cybercrimes to the global economy of more than USD$400 billion (McAfee and Center for Strategic and International Studies 2014).