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New methods to prevent, investigate and mitigate cybercriminality
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Welcome to the CC-DRIVER newsletter!
CC-DRIVER is an EU-funded H2020 project combining interdisciplinary research with innovation activities to illuminate the role of technical and human factors in current cybercrime trends and translate the findings into co-design tools and new methods to support the fight against cybercrime. We welcome your insights on our research and innovation activities by contacting us at ccdriver@trilateralresearch.com. You can follow project updates on our CC-DRIVER website and by following our social media handles. | |
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Latest project news - Vulnerability self-assessment questionnaire
- Conceptualising cybercrime: Definitions, typologies and taxonomies
- Challenges in measuring cybercrime
- A cybercrime typology
Recent events - CC-DRIVER General Assembly
- CC-DRIVER Policy Tool Wiki Workshop
- CC-DRIVER @ the United Nations
Reading Corner - Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Surge in cyberattacks
- Women in cyber
- ERCIM feat. CC-DRIVER
For LEAs - LEA Working Group Insights on “The role of gender in cybercrime”
- LEA Working Group Insights on “Sexting and Online Sexual Coercion and Extortion of Children (oSCEC)”
LEA Cluster news & events - Welcome our new LEA Cluster members: CYBERSPACE, CYCLOPES, FREETOOL, HEROES, LAW-GAME, NOTIONES, Tools4LEAs
- ROXANNE's third and final field test
- Upcoming LEA Cluster meeting - October 2022
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Vulnerability self-assessment questionnaire | |
The booming cybercrime economy replete with new criminality platforms has reportedly resulted in $1.5 trillion in illicit profits acquired, laundered, spent, and reinvested by cybercriminals. This escalation is the result of new forms of cybercriminality; it no longer requires sophisticated or carefully planned operations to break into IT systems. This cybersecurity failure is one of the risks that has worsened the most during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Part of the CC-DRIVER project is the creation of a Vulnerability Self-Assessment Questionnaire that can help Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to protect themselves by embarking on cybersecurity defences, organisational measures, cost-benefit considerations, awareness of fundamental rights such as the rights to privacy, protection of personal data and the free movement of persons.
If you are an SME or a CSO and would like to participate in the free online vulnerability self-assessment questionnaire, please contact us directly using the following channels: | |
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Conceptualising cybercrime: Definitions, typologies and taxonomies | |
Cybercrime is becoming ever more pervasive and yet the lack of consensus surrounding what constitutes a cybercrime prevails. This has a significant impact on society, legal and policy response, and academic research. Difficulties in understanding cybercrime begin with the variability in terminology and lack of consistency in cybercrime legislation across jurisdictions.
In the forensic sciences’ publication, Conceptualising cybercrime: Definitions, typologies and taxonomies, key cybercrime definitions, typologies and taxonomies were identified and integrated into a classification framework to build a better understanding of cybercrime. The publication is an extension of the CC-DRIVER project partners' research findings. | |
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Challenges in measuring cybercrime | |
Cybercrime is expanding exponentially. Despite the rising prevalence of cybercrime, it is difficult to provide an overview of the current trend. Cybercrime is measured by different sources, but all these sources of data fail to provide accurate information regarding cybercrime trends as they are plagued by validity and reliability measurement problems.
The fourth CC-DRIVER policy brief gives an overview of the limitations of data sources, how it affects the measurement of cybercrime and provides recommendations on how to internationally systematise statistics in cybercrime to establish a valid and reliable database. | |
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Cybercrime is one of the most prevalent forms of crime in the world: An intentional exploitation of computer networks, systems and technology-dependent enterprises. There are different types of cybercrime and this includes the use of malicious codes to modify data and gain unauthorised access.
The CC-DRIVER Project partners' research addresses this challenge through its research that categorises the most common types of cybercrime, such as SQL injections, DDoS attacks, eavesdropping, phishing, malware, ransomware or trojans. | |
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In light of recent events | |
CC-DRIVER General Assembly
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The most recent CC-DRIVER general assembly was held on the 25th of May 2022. The first part of the session was open to key stakeholders and the second part of the session was exclusive to the consortium (as it pertained to project tracking activities). The first half of the session included two workshops where CC-DRIVER partners from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland and the University of East London, United Kingdom presented their latest cutting-edge research on pathways to cyberdelinquency and cybercrime. This was followed by the presentation of the vulnerability self-assessment questionnaire by SIMAVI, based in Romania. These workshops were supplemented by insightful discussions by our distinguished experts from academic, research and security fields. The discussants also included our consortium partners possessing expertise and experience in tackling cybercriminality. | |
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CC-DRIVER Policy Tool Wiki Workshop | |
The CC-DRIVER Project is developing a policy tool wiki, a set of good cybersecurity policy practices with a special focus on young people. This will be accompanied by a cybersecurity policy framework outlining the different types of cybercrime such as cybercrime-as-a-service and the extent to which legislation or regulations tackle the various types of cybercrime.
The wiki was successfully presented for the first time to an audience of law enforcement authorities in an online workshop on 9 May 2022. A second workshop is envisaged to take place at a later stage, where it will be presented to an audience of policymakers.
If you are a policymaker and would like to contribute to the policy tool wiki by discussing its scope, utility and ease of use, we encourage you to get in touch (lavinia.dinca@simavi.ro) and support our efforts against cybercrime! | |
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CC-DRIVER @ the United Nations | |
Privanova was part of the first intersessional consultation of the Ad Hoc Committee established by the UN General Assembly: the International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes, held on the 24th and 25th of March.
In this session, CC-DRIVER was presented to an array of representatives from 193 countries. Horizon 2020 was highlighted as a strong mechanism that allows financial and logistical empowerment to innovate in fields such as cybersecurity. The delegation of the European Union at the United Nations praised CC-DRIVER's efforts to disseminate European innovation. Learn more about the consultation through the CC-DRIVER blog or gain insights into the consultation from Privanova's perspective. | |
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| Russia-Ukraine Crisis: A surge in cyberattacks | |
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown that modern warfare can affect any aspect of daily life, like how Russia's unprecedented use of cybercriminality as a form of warfare has permeated the lives of Ukrainians. These cyberattacks have leveraged the ubiquitous use of digital technologies to disrupt anything crucial to everyday Ukrainians from water supply to medical support. The coalescing of state (Russia) and non-state actors (private actors attacking Ukrainian cyberspace) has illuminated the enhanced capabilities of the Kremlin in exploiting technological growth to carry out cyberattacks and in turn, the centrality of cyberattacks in modern warfare. Considering the severity of these cyberattacks, this blog by the Atlantic Council argues that limiting Russian access to modern technology should be seen as an international security priority. | |
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ERCIM News feat. CC-DRIVER | | | |
Providing a cybersecure world is a crucial global challenge for the next few years. We need all the power we can muster to control, fight and prevent cybercrime.
This goal can only be met by disengaging from masculine stereotypes that have been dominant for many years and that have majorly influenced women in cyber. Our blog shows that this can be seen in how, firstly, women are portrayed as victims of cybercrime and technological bias and secondly, how women as professionals in cyber are affected by such stereotypes. Both perspectives are paramount in facing the challenges ahead and ensure a cybersecure world—for everyone. | | A collaboration between the CC-DRIVER project partners produced an article on CC-DRIVER that was published in ERCIM News' special issue on Fighting Cybercrime!
The article discusses how the business of cybercriminals has proliferated into a multi-million dollar industry with technological advancements and discusses these advancements referred to as technical drivers of cybercrime. By building this foundational understanding, this article demonstrates how the CC-DRIVER project mitigates risks/breaches to personal data/privacy that are ever increasing among not just businesses but also individuals.
Read the full article here. | | | |
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Check out our “For LEAs” section on the CC-DRIVER website! - Recognising that our projects have common stakeholders and similar objectives in supporting law enforcement against organised crime and terrorism, we have formed the LEA cluster. Find out more about our sister projects in the LEA Cluster.
- The CC-DRIVER LEA Working Group is a forum for LEAs to exchange experiences and best practices with a focus on cybercrime. These meetings act as a safe space for LEAs to discuss the human, social and societal aspects of security issues and mitigations. Learn more about the LEA Working Group. If you are an LEA and would like to participate in the working group, please contact Valencia Local Police.
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LEA Working Group Insights on “The role of gender in cybercrime” | |
The 6th Edition of the CC-DRIVER LEA Working Group addressed the role of gender in cybercrime. It was discussed how and why women and girls experience more cyber-violence, such as abuse of intimate photos, cyberstalking, sexual coercion and sextortion, grooming and online hate speech. Women who are public figures experience this even more commonly and harshly. Such experiences make women feel less safe online, it threatens their freedom of speech and can even coerce them into being silenced. | |
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LEA Working Group Insights on “Sexting and Online Sexual Coercion and Extortion of Children (oSCEC)” | |
The CC-DRIVER LEA Working Group discussed in the crime of online sexual coercion and extortion that affects children, and the issue of sexting (oSCEC) during its 5th edition. oSCEC is difficult to measure, but it is clear that more time spent in the digital world is directly proportional to a rise in online crime/oSCEC.
Major motivations for oSCEC are sexual or financial, with the former being the more prevalent. Given the dangers oSCEC and sexting, it is recommended that awareness programmes for children and young people is crucial to help them understand acceptable and unacceptable/illegality online behaviours.
Acting on such recommendations means that LEAs need to cross several obstacles. Challenges for LEAs include civilian underreporting of cybercrime, varying cybercrime legislation across Europe, and differing categorizations, age ranges and/or terminology of cybercrime in different jurisdictions. The CC-DRIVER Project supports LEAs in tackling these obstacles so that oSCEC recommendations can be actioned. Read more about our work here. | |
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LEA Cluster news & events | |
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A warm welcome to our new cluster members: | |
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CYBERSPACE
CYBERSPACE is a three-year project, funded through the European Commission’s Internal Security Fund Programme. Starting in December 2021, CYBERSPACE will provide the bigger picture regarding cybercrime in the European Union. By facilitating reporting of cyber attacks, mapping response actions and coordinating between LEAs, policy makers and the private sector and across national borders, LEAs‘ capacities to investigate cybercrime will be enhanced. | |
CYCLOPES
CYCLOPES is a 5-year (2021-2026), EU-funded project for building and maintaining an innovation-driven network of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) combating cybercrime.
We identify solutions and research activities that help tackle the complexity of cybercrime – whilst eliciting priorities for standardisation and recommendations for innovation implementation and increased uptake. | | | |
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FREETOOL
Commercial cybercrime investigation tools offer a degree of reliability and technical support, but come with a high price tag, making them prohibitively expensive for police forces on small budgets. The creation of free, effective, reliable tools for cybercrime investigators would greatly assist the global fight against cybercrime. A growing number of cybercrime investigators develop their tools to support their investigations. These may also be used within a unit/jurisdiction but often are not shared with the wider community. Quite often the developed tools offer the same (and sometimes more advanced) levels of functionality than commercial options. The FREETOOL project brings together such developers and offers them a platform for collaboration and distribution. | |
HEROES
HEROES is a three-year project (since December 2021) structured as a comprehensive solution that encompasses three main components: Prevention, Investigation and Victim Assistance.
Through these components, HEROES' solution aims to establish a coordinated contribution with LEAs by developing an appropriate, victim-centred approach that is capable of addressing specific needs and providing protection.
The HEROES project’s main objective is to use technology to improve how help and support can be provided to victims of THB and CSA/CSE. |
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LAW GAME
LAW-GAME brings together 19 partners under one basic goal: to train Law Enforcement Officers and first responders on the procedures to be followed during crime scene investigation and illegal act predictions.
To achieve this, LAW-GAME will develop a complete training system based on serious games, virtual reality technologies and AI-assisted procedures.
The LAW-GAME training system will enhance the training experience of LEAs via recreating real-world scenarios through virtual simulations and situation analysis, introducing an attractive approach to developing core competencies required for conducting a forensic examination, effective questioning and recognizing and mitigating potential terrorist attacks. | | | |
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| NOTIONES
Novel technologies have presented practitioners with new opportunities to improve the intelligence process, but have also created new challenges and threats. Consequently, the timely identification of emerging technologies and analysis of their potential impact, not only on the intelligence community but also on terrorist or criminal organisations, is crucial. However, time constraints can prevent intelligence practitioners from being updated on the most recent technologies.
To address this challenge, NOTIONES will establish a network, connecting researchers and industries with the intelligence community. This network will facilitate exchange on new and emerging technologies but also equip solution providers with insights on the corresponding needs and requirements of practitioners. | | | Tools4LEAs
The Tools4LEAs project focuses on delivering fully-tested and validated software tools/solutions to European public security entities (law enforcement agencies, forensic institutes, and others) to help them fight cybercrime.
The Tools4LEAs project aims at establishing a long-term and sustainable structure that regularly delivers tools that are ready to be used at an operational level.
These tools will have no license costs for European public security practitioners. | | | |
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Upcoming events - LEA Cluster | |
ROXANNE's third and final field test
CC-DRIVER's LEA Cluster member, the ROXANNE project is preparing for the final Field Test, which will take place at INTERPOL premises in Lyon, France on 6th of October 2022.
As it will be the final field test of the ROXANNE project, they are aiming to demonstrate the platform’s matured capabilities and its performance and usefulness for solving criminal cases through streamlined data analysis. They will demonstrate specific police use case scenarios, offer a hands-on session for participants interested in experimenting with the platform functionalities, and gather the feedback necessary to ensure that the ROXANNE platform meets end-user needs.
It will be a physical event (in accordance with applicable travel and health restrictions) and upon registration only. More details, including an official invitation and registration details will be available closer to the event. Stay updated by following the ROXANNE project website. | |
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Upcoming LEA Cluster meeting
The next LEA Cluster meeting will be held in October 2022. Stay updated on this meeting and future events through the CC-DRIVER website and by following our social media handles. | |
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Our mailing address is: Trilateral Research 1 Knightsbridge Green London SW1X 7QA United Kingdom ccdriver@trilateralresearch.com
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