"Organized Cybercrime: Not Your Grandfather’s Mafia"

Research from Michigan State University explored whether the stereotype of organized crime applies to organizations of hackers. The study identified the common characteristics of cybercrime networks, examining how groups in these networks operate and collaborate. According to Thomas Holt, MSU professor of criminal justice co-author of the study, the most dangerous cybercrime groups are the ones that are loosely-structured. These types of groups consist of individuals who gather to perform an activity effectively for a certain amount of time and then disappear. Cybercrime networks differ from traditional organized crime networks because they lack historic validity, and are hard to document and trace. Holt and lead author E. R. Leukfeldt, a researcher at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement, conducted this study by reviewing data from 18 cases in which individuals were prosecuted for cases related to the performance of phishing attacks. This article continues to discuss the purpose and key findings of this study. 

Homeland Security News Wire reports "Organized Cybercrime: Not Your Grandfather’s Mafia"