Criminology Commons^™

Ransomware Against Police: Diagnosis Of Risk Factors Via Application Of Cyber-Routine Activities Theory, Kyung-Shick Choi, T. M. Scott, Daniel P. Leclair

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Technologically advanced hackers are able to commit a crime and leave undiscovered by the authorities. Recent increases in cyber-attacks utilizing technology known as ransomware are leaving police departments and other institutions in the serious situation of having to pay ransom to cybercriminals. The present study employs a Cyber-Routine Theoretical approach in explaining why ransomware victimization has become a viral phenomenon. Data were derived from the recent reported cases of ransomware attacks towards police departments in the U.S. and analyzed in order to build a victim profile. This study shows that online lifestyle and cybersecurity are the salient factors that contribute …