Crime and Cyberspace: Annotated Bibliography

By Warren Brandt

On-Line Sources

Author Unknown,
October 3, 1998 University of Denver, The Dark Side of the Internet.

This site presents a general overview of crime on the net. First, it goes about explaining some of the characteristics inherent to cyberspace that makes the internet an attractive medium for conducting illegal activities. These traits include the anonymous, rapidly changing and interactive qualities of the net. Second, it makes a distinction between traditional sorts of crime that have embraced the net such as fraud, pyramid schemes, etc., and new types of crime that are unique to cyberspace. These include activities like hacking, spreading computer viruses, and pirating software.

The purpose of this site is to educate and inform the public of the criminal dangers present on the internet. Links are provided to law enforcement resources for further study.

Voss, Natalie D.
1994-1999 Jones Telecommunications & Multimedia Encyclopedia, Crime on the Internet.

This site is also interested in defining types of cyber crime and nicely covers areas not addressed by the previous site. Real life examples of cases are highlighted. The site gives particular attention to the "lawless" nature of the internet. Here, it appears that the only form of governance is found in the self-regulating norms of the virtual community. Law enforcement on the net is hindered by legal ambiguity and jurisdictional differences. References and links are provided for further study.

Denning, Dorothy
1990, A Presentation at the 13th National Computer Security Conference, Washington D.C. Concerning Hackers Who Break into Computer Systems

While many label hackers as being malicious, evil, and destructive (and no doubt some are), Ms. Denning argues that on the whole, they are upstanding and considerate people who actually contribute to the well being of cyberspace. In many ways they see themselves as defending the citizen's right to expression and access to information. Their activities are done in harmless fun and they are careful not to inflict harm if at all possible. Hackers are bright and sophisticated computer experts who are out for a challenge and a thrill. If anything, they are useful in exposing the weaknesses of computer networks, and are indeed employed by business to test the security of their systems. Are hackers cybercriminals? You decide.

McKee, Phillip C.
October 8, 1999 Internet Fraud Watch,

In a speech put on-line, Internet Fraud Watch coordinator, Phillip McKee, outlines the characteristics and statistics of internet fraud . He looks at the top ten internet frauds of 1999 and their common methods of solicitation and payment. Also provided are statistics on geographic locations of the parties involved and the ages of those reporting fraud. Once again, the characteristics of internet crime are outlined.

The United States Department of Justice
March 9, 2000 The Electronic Frontier: The Challenge of Unlawful Conduct Involving the Use of the Internet. A Report of the President's Working Group on Unlawful Conduct on the Internet

This is a lengthy and comprehensive report put forth by the United States Justice Department that examines the phenomenon of internet crime. Legal issues are discussed along with the challenges faced by law enforcement. The need for public awareness and education is stressed. A table of contents is provided (including appendices on specific types of cybercrime) which outlines the content of the report better than a summary can do here.

The United Nations.
no date given United Nations Manual on the Prevention and Control of Computer-Related Crime

This is a lengthy and comprehensive report put forth by the United Nations that examines a host of computer and internet crime issues ranging from the criminological to the legal and technical. A table of contents is provided which outlines the content of the paper better than a summary can do here.

Melton, Keith H.
no date given CNN Article,

This article deals primarily with international cyber terrorism and espionage. While these activities may not constitute what we might call typical internet crime, the article graphically illustrates how criminal organizations and hostile states may be able to utilize the net to achieve their objectives. The characteristics that make cyberspace an attractive venue for the perpetration of international criminal acts is discussed. The purpose for including this article in the bibliography is to demonstrate how the internet has empowered radical groups and organizations of all kinds to commit destructive and harmful acts that are impervious to international boundaries. The internet is already being used by hostile organizations to:

Recruit and communicate members with similar fundamentalist beliefs.
Coordinate terrorist activities with other aligned groups that share interests in a common outcome.
Raise money through computer based cyber-crime.
Attack the national information infrastructures of hostile countries from thousands of miles away.

Printed Sources

Castells, Manuel

The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture Volume II: The Power of Identity.

Blackwell Publishers Incorporated Oxford, U.K. 1997.

pp.259-261

Castells, Manuel
The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture Volume III: End of Millenium.
Blackwell Publishers Incorporated Oxford, U.K. 1998.
Chapter 3: The Perverse Connection: the Global Criminal Economy pp.166-205

In volumes two and three of his trilogy, Manuel Castells argues that the networking of powerful criminal organizations and their associates, in shared activities around the world, is a new phenomenon that profoundly affects national and international economies, politics, security, and global societies at large. Essentially, Castells describes organized crime as having become a form of 'network enterprise' like its corporate counterparts. Well organized, culturally united, and strategically allied criminal organizations around the world have been empowered by electronic networks to advance their agendas. This has brought about great instability for societies, nations, and financial markets. The global criminal economy is closely linked to the formal economy courtesy of today's electronic infrastructure. Castells presents the idea that in the flows of cyberspace, criminal organizations themselves express a cultural identity which ultimately influences the values of societies, and is reflected today by the media's glamourization of organized crime.

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This page was last modified on: Thursday, April 06, 2000 14:15:44.