Beyond Technical Security: Developing an Empirical Basis for Socio-Economic Perspectives

This project investigates the roles played by economics and social interactions in Internet security. Security research has tended to focus on the technologies that enable and defend against attacks. This project emphasizes the human element of cybercrime, including the profits that motivate the majority of Internet attacks, the elaborate marketplaces that support them, and the relationships among cybercriminals, who rely upon each other for services and expertise. It will also study how social media such as Facebook and Twitter provide new opportunities for attacks and manipulation. By better understanding the roles that economics and social interactions play in cybercrime, defenders can identify the most effective opportunities for interventions and defenses. This project is a collaboration among ICSI, UC San Diego, and George Mason University.