Cyber crime: a portrait of the landscape

Published date28 February 2019
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-07-2018-0021
Date28 February 2019
Pages13-26
AuthorSteven Furnell,Samantha Dowling
Subject MatterHealth & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology
Cyber crime: a portrait of the landscape
Steven Furnell and Samantha Dowling
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review current evidence in relation to scale and impacts of cyber
crime, including various approaches to defining and measuring the problem.
Design/methodology/approach A review and analysis of survey evidence is used to enable an
understanding of the scope and scale of the cyber crime problem, and its effect upon those experiencing it.
Findings The analysis evidences that cyber crime exists in several dimensions, with costs and harms that
can be similarly varied. There is also a sense that, moving forward, the cyberlabel will become somewhat
redundant as many crimes have the potential to have a technology component.
Research limitations/implications The key evidence in this particular discussion has some geographic
limitations, with much of the discussion focussed upon data drawn from the Crime Survey for England
and Wales, as well as other UK-based sources. However, many of the broader points still remain more
widely relevant.
Practical implications This study helps in: better understanding the range and scale of cyber crime
threats; understanding how the cyber element fits into the wider context of crime; improving the appreciation
of what cyber crime can mean for potential victims; and recognising the cost dimensions, and the
implications for protection and response.
Social implications The discussion will help businesses and individuals to have a better appreciation of
the cyber crime threat, and what ought to be considered in response to it.
Originality/value The discussion is based upon recent evidence, and therefore represents a more up-to-date
view of the cyber crime landscape than reviews already available in earlier literature.
Keywords Internet, Fraud, Hacking, Malware, Ransomware, Cyber crime
Paper type General review
Introduction
The almost ubiquitous use of information technology, and modern societys increasing
dependence upon it, has ushered in new opportunities for criminal activity. Potential victims now
have to protect themselves against perpetrators that they cannot see, and against a variety of
crime types that can have a significant impact upon both the IT systems and those that use them.
The resulting cyber crime has the potential to affect everyone, from large multinational
organisations down to individuals. While this also applies to crime in general, a significant
difference with cyber crime is that, with large-scale attacks like malware and phishing, the same
incident can affect multiple parties at the same time. The internet has enabled global reach
between attackers and victims, as well as the potential for the attacks themselves to have
instantaneous effects, irrespective of distance.
The cyber crime pro blem is not a new one, an d related incident s have been occurri ng in
various forms for w ell over three deca des. Cyber securit y industry report ing suggests
that the problem has not been static the scale and breadth of some particular forms
of cyber attack reported by industry appears to have been increasing, as the use of
technology has bec ome more widesprea d and its criminal pote ntial has become more widely
recognised. In parallel, the recognition by governments, busines s and legal systems h as also
increased, as has public awareness of at least some of the issues. However, our ability to
accurately measure scale and changes in trends for cyber crime (not just attacks), as well as to
accurately assess the impacts and harms deriving from successful attacks, has generally
been limited.
Received 17 July 2018
Revised 3 November 2018
Accepted 26 November 2018
Steven Furnell is based at the
Centre for Security,
Communications and Network
Research, University of
Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.
Samantha Dowling is based at
Home Office, London, UK.
DOI 10.1108/JCRPP-07-2018-0021 VOL. 5 NO. 1 2019, pp.13-26, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2056-3841
j
JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH, POLICY AND PRACTICE
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