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Cybercriminal networks make use of digital means, such as phishing, malware, or hacking to steal money from customers of financial institutions. The author analyzes the processes of origin, growth, and criminal capabilities to put forward several explanations for the differences found between traditional criminal networks and cybercriminal networks. Although the majority of these cybercriminal networks still rely on real-world social ties for their origin and growth, some networks make full use of the advantages that digitization provides. As a new kind of offender convergence setting, forums provide a fluid form of cooperation, making dependency relationships seen in traditional criminal networks less important. Furthermore, examples were found of prolonged, repeated interaction through online communities, which raises the question to what extent digital social ties differ from their real-world counterparts. This study forms an important evidence-based contribution to the criminological knowledge about cybercriminal networks. Furthermore, based on the empirical results, the author outlines possibilities for situational crime prevention against cybercriminal networks. This book will therefore be of interest both to academics and practitioners in the field of cybercrime and cyber security. Dissertation. [Subject: Criminology, Criminal Law, Cyber Security]

A New York Times bestseller and winner of a 2015 Prose Award!There is a threat lurking online. A secret war with the power to destroy your finances, steal your personal data, and endanger your life.In Spam Nation, investigative journalist and cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs unmasks the criminal masterminds driving some of the biggest spam and hacker operations targeting Americans and their bank accounts. Tracing the rise, fall, and alarming resurrection of the digital mafia behind the two largest spam pharmacies—and countless viruses, phishing, and spyware attacks—he delivers the first definitive narrative of the global spam problem and its threat to consumers everywhere.Blending cutting-edge research, investigative reporting, and firsthand interviews, this terrifying true story reveals how we unwittingly invite these digital thieves into our lives every day. From unassuming computer programmers right next door to digital mobsters like'Cosma'—who unleashed a massive malware attack that has stolen thousands of Americans'logins and passwords—Krebs uncovers the shocking lengths to which these people will go to profit from our data and our wallets.Not only are hundreds of thousands of Americans exposing themselves to fraud and dangerously toxic products from rogue online pharmacies, but even those who never open junk messages are at risk. As Krebs notes, spammers can—and do—hack into accounts through these emails, harvest personal information like usernames and passwords, and sell them on the digital black market. The fallout from this global epidemic doesn't just cost consumers and companies billions, it costs lives too.Fast-paced and utterly gripping, Spam Nation ultimately proposes concrete solutions for protecting ourselves online and stemming this tidal wave of cybercrime—before it's too late.'Krebs's talent for exposing the weaknesses in online security has earned him respect in the IT business and loathing among cybercriminals… His track record of scoops...has helped him become the rare blogger who supports himself on the strength of his reputation for hard-nosed reporting.'—Bloomberg Businessweek