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Palgrave Macmillan

Data Thieves in Action

Examining the International Market for Stolen Personal Information

  • Book
  • © 2016

Overview

Authors:
  1. Thomas J. Holt

    1. Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA

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    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  2. Olga Smirnova

    1. East Carolina University, Greenville, USA

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    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  3. Yi-Ting Chua

    1. Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA

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  • Nominated for the ACJS Outstanding Book Award 2019
  • Presents in-depth analyses of international marketplaces selling personal information
  • Utilizes social network and sociological analyses to provide insights into this growing area of crime
  • Addresses both issues relevant for sociologists, criminologists and computer scientists

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Cybercrime and Cybersecurity (PSCYBER)

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-ix
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  2. Introduction

    • Thomas J. Holt, Olga Smirnova, Yi-Ting Chua
    Pages 1-18

  3. The Marketing and Sales of Stolen Data

    • Thomas J. Holt, Olga Smirnova, Yi-Ting Chua
    Pages 19-43

  4. The Economic Impact of Stolen Data Markets

    • Thomas J. Holt, Olga Smirnova, Yi-Ting Chua
    Pages 45-72

  5. The Social Organization of Actors in Stolen Data Markets

    • Thomas J. Holt, Olga Smirnova, Yi-Ting Chua
    Pages 73-95

  6. Visualizing the Networks of Economic Transactions and Ads in Stolen Data Markets

    • Thomas J. Holt, Olga Smirnova, Yi-Ting Chua
    Pages 97-131

  7. Implications and Conclusions

    • Thomas J. Holt, Olga Smirnova, Yi-Ting Chua
    Pages 133-154

  8. Back Matter

    Pages 155-157
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Keywords

About this book

This book examines the practices of cybercriminals who steal and sell personal information acquired through various means, including mass data breaches, to engage in cybercrime and fraud. Using data from multiple English and Russian language web forums, the authors identify the range of products sold in these active on-line marketplaces and the prospective profits earned by these actors. 

The social organization of these markets is analysed using sociological theory to understand the sophistication of the markets. Social network analyses of the relational networks of participants are also utilised to examine their sophistication and structure. In doing so, this work will contribute to the development of cybercrime studies, and will appeal to both social and computer scientists alike with an interest in the human aspects of cybercrime.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA

    Thomas J. Holt, Yi-Ting Chua

  • East Carolina University, Greenville, USA

    Olga Smirnova

About the authors

Thomas Holt is an Associate Professor in the School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, USA. He has published extensively on cybercrime and cyberterror, and has received multiple grants from the National Institute of Justice and the National Science Foundation to examine malware writers, data thieves, and hackers using on-line data. 


Olga Smirnova is an Assistant Professor at the MPA program, Political Science Department, East Carolina University, USA. Her research interests include social networks, institutional stability, economic development, performance measurement, and visualizations of complex systems. She teaches various courses at graduate and undergraduate levels, including economic development, public budgeting, and professional papers. 


Yi Ting Chua is a PhD student in the School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, USA. Although gender and criminal justice systems have been her primary interests, she is also interested in how policing, domestic violence, and comparative criminal justice interact with the dynamics between gender and criminal justice.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Data Thieves in Action

  • Book Subtitle: Examining the International Market for Stolen Personal Information

  • Authors: Thomas J. Holt, Olga Smirnova, Yi-Ting Chua

  • Series Title: Palgrave Studies in Cybercrime and Cybersecurity

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58904-0

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan New York

  • eBook Packages: Law and Criminology, Law and Criminology (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-58903-3Published: 07 September 2016

  • eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-58904-0Published: 06 September 2016

  • Series ISSN: 2946-2770

  • Series E-ISSN: 2946-2789

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: IX, 157

  • Number of Illustrations: 14 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Cybercrime, Organized Crime, Policing, Crime and Society, Social Media

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