The UK government has published its second Economic Crime Plan (ECP2), which aims to reinforce the government’s priorities in relation to economic crime in (or affecting) the UK. ECP2 arrives at a time of considerable political attention on economic crime, with the global focus on kleptocracy and increased use of financial sanctions following Russia’s invasion […]
Online safety: Child abuse and exploitation in eXtended Reality
In 2020 a team led by Professor Emma Barrett and Professor Steve Pettifer was commissioned by GCHQ to examine how child exploitation and abuse may evolve in light of the latest emerging technology trend: the widespread adoption of immersive ‘eXtended Reality’ (XR) technologies, including Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Their report synthesises research on online […]
Smart (and Safe) Homes – public-private partnerships to mitigate the digital harms of smart home devices
In recent years smart devices have become a feature of people’s, increasingly complex, home ecosystems. This brings new opportunities for users and may improve energy efficiency, but it also poses new threats to the privacy and security of end users. While there is emerging evidence of attacks against home devices and data misuse, there is […]
Why victims of cyber crime deserve ‘Cyber CPR’
COVID-19 has seen an increased vulnerability to cyber crime. In this blog, originally from our On Digital Trust publication, Professor Emma Barrett, Professor Danny Dresner, and Dr David Buil-Gil outline why victims of cyber crime need greater protection, including a raft of ‘CPR’ measures designed to help them recover quickly. Cyber crimes cost billions of […]
How the digital space oils the wheels of unlawful and unethical business
As COVID-19 forces more and more of our daily lives into cyberspace, how well regulated is the digital realm, and how can criminals exploit its grey areas? In this blog, originally from our On Digital Trust publication, Professor Nicholas Lord explains how criminals exploit the murkiness of the digital space to siphon off and launder […]
Risk in a digital age: why solutions lie in people, not just technology
As the digital and real worlds become ever-more entwined, do we really understand how people and technology interact? In this blog, republished from our On Digital Trust publication, Prof Gerard Hodgkinson explains why both person and machine should be considered when introducing and safeguarding digital infrastructure. Historically, new technologies fail to meet expectations because human […]
Profiting from pandemics: COVID-19, changing routines and cyber crimes
The COVID-19 crisis is driving changes in the routines of institutions and individuals, as businesses, educational institutions and other organisations recommend or require employees to engage in social distancing in a collective attempt to minimise the spread of the virus. As well as having global socioeconomic effects, these changes in routine create opportunities for crimes. […]
Cryptocorruption: what hit series ‘Billions’ tells us about how cryptocurrency could be misused
Taking a lead from a hit US TV show, former University of Manchester law student Alex Sprake and Dr Nick Lord discuss the potential for the misuse of cryptocurrencies to facilitate fraudulent and illicit payments. They find it as likely to be an issue in the world of ‘legitimate business’ as for organised crime, and […]