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Crime Script Analysis of the Online Stolen Data Market

NCJ Number
249286
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 55 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2015 Pages: 596-614
Author(s)
Alice Hutchings; Thomas J. Holt
Date Published
May 2015
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this study is to better understand the online black market economy, specifically relating to stolen data, using crime script analysis.
Abstract
Content analysis of 13 English- and Russian-speaking stolen data forums found that the different products and services offered enabled the commodification of stolen data. The marketplace offers a range of complementary products, from the supply of hardware and software to steal data, the sale of the stolen data itself, to the provision of services to turn data into money, such as drops, cashiers, and money laundering. The crime script analysis provides some insight into how the actors in these forums interact, and the actions they perform, from setting up software to finalizing transactions and exiting the marketplace. (Publisher abstract modified)