Cybersecurity lecture 3

Human factor in cybercrime(and cybersecurity)

• Victims

• Offenders

• Law enforcement

Difference in cybercrime (from traditional crime)

• Less physical/social interaction

• Greater anonymity (disinhibition)

• More use of social engineering

• Larger number of potential victims

• No limits of time or location

Consequences cybercrime victimisation

• Financial loss

• Loss of trust

• Stress and fear

• Anger and frustration

• Shame and guilt

• Feeling unsafe

• Depression

• Loss of control

Limitations victim self-report surveys

• People may forget incidents

• People may not answer honestly

• Rare/victimless crimes are difficult to measure

• Attacks do not always result in victimisation

• Number of victims ≠ number of offenders or crimes

Pig butchering

A long-term scam where criminals build trust with victims through dating apps or social media and convince them to invest money, often in fake cryptocurrency investments

Why pig butchering works

• Social engineering

• Manipulating emotions

• Gaining trust

• Complicated investments

• Banks cannot do much

Routine Activity Theory

• Likely offender

• Suitable target

• Absence of a capable guardian

Crime occurs when all three come together

VIVA

• Value

• Inertia

• Visibility

• Accessibility

Helps explain who is more likely to become a victim

Value(VIVA)

Worth stealing or attacking

inertia(VIVA)

How difficult it is to attack, move, or obtain the target

Visibility(VIVA)

Easy to find or notice

Accessibility(VIVA)

Easy to reach or attack

Main factors cybercrime victimisation

• Personal characteristics(age, previous victimisation)

• Personality(self-control)

• Routine activities(exposure)

• Online behaviour

Social engineering characteristics

• Psychosocial manipulation

• Hacking of the human brain

• Gaining trust

• Perform actions (log in, transfer money, etc.)

System 1 (Dual process theory)

• Automatic thinking

• Requires little effort

• Fast and intuitive

• Difficult to consciously control

System 2(Dual process theory)

• Conscious thinking

• Requires effort and energy

• Slower and analytical

• Helps with self-control and decision-making

Principles of influence

• Reciprocity

• Liking

• Scarcity

• Social proof

• Authority

• Commitment and consistency

Reciprocity(principles of influence)

People feel obligated to return favours

Liking(principles of influence)

People are more likely to comply with people they like or trust

Scarcity(principles of influence)

People value things more when they seem limited

Social proof(principles of influence)

People copy what others are doing

Commitment and consistency

People want to stay consistent with previous actions or promises

Authority(principles of influence)

People tend to obey experts or people in power