Information Security Commons^™

The Underrepresentation Of Black Females In Cybersecurity, Makendra Latrice Crosby

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The significance of cybersecurity methods, strategies, and programs in protecting computers and electronic devices is crucial throughout the technological infrastructure. Despite the considerable growth in the cybersecurity field and its expansive workforce, there exists a notable underrepresentation, specifically among Black/African American females. This study examines the barriers hindering the inclusion of Black women in the cybersecurity workforce such as socioeconomic factors, limited educational access, biases, and workplace culture. The urgency of addressing these challenges calls for solutions such as education programs, mentorship initiatives, creating inclusive workplace environments, and promoting advocacy and increased awareness within the cybersecurity field. Additionally, this paper …

Understanding The Use Of Artificial Intelligence In Cybercrime, Katalin Parti, Thomas Dearden, Sinyong Choi

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Artificial intelligence is one of the newest innovations which offenders exploit to satisfy their criminal desires. Although understanding cybercrime that is associated with this relatively new technology is essential in developing proper preventive measures, little has been done to examine this area. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of the two articles featured in the special issue of the International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime, one about deepfakes in the metaverse and the other about social engineering attacks. The articles were written by the winners of the student paper competition at the 2023 International White Hat Conference.

Victimization By Deepfake In The Metaverse: Building A Practical Management Framework, Julia Stavola, Kyung-Shick Choi

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Deepfake is digitally altered media aimed to deceive online users for political favor, monetary gain, extortion, and more. Deepfakes are the prevalent issues of impersonation, privacy, and fake news that cause substantial damage to individuals, groups, and organizations. The metaverse is an emerging 3-dimensional virtual platform led by AI and blockchain technology where users freely interact with each other. The purpose of this study is to identify the use of illicit deep fakes which can potentially contribute to cybercrime victimization in the metaverse. The data will be derived from expert interviews (n=8) and online open sources to design a framework …

Harnessing Large Language Models To Simulate Realistic Human Responses To Social Engineering Attacks: A Case Study, Mohammad Asfour, Juan Carlos Murillo

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

The research publication, “Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior,” by Stanford and Google in 2023 established that large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 can generate interactive agents with credible and emergent human-like behaviors. However, their application in simulating human responses in cybersecurity scenarios, particularly in social engineering attacks, remains unexplored. In addressing that gap, this study explores the potential of LLMs, specifically the Open AI GPT-4 model, to simulate a broad spectrum of human responses to social engineering attacks that exploit human social behaviors, framing our primary research question: How does the simulated behavior of human targets, based …

Anonymity And Gender Effects On Online Trolling And Cybervictimization, Gang Lee, Annalyssia Soonah

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the anonymity of the internet and gender differences in online trolling and cybervictimization. A sample of 151 college students attending a southeastern university completed a survey to assess their internet activities and online trolling and cybervictimization. Multivariate analyses of logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression were used to analyze online trolling and cybervictimization. The results indicated that the anonymity measure was not a significant predictor of online trolling and cybervictimization. Female students were less likely than male students to engage in online trolling, but there was no gender …

Research Trends In Cybercrime And Cybersecurity: A Review Based On Web Of Science Core Collection Database, Ling Wu, Qiong Peng, Michael Lembke

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Studies on cybercrime and cybersecurity have expanded in both scope and breadth in recent years. This study offers a bibliometric review of research trends in cybercrime and cybersecurity over the past 26 years (1995-2021) based on Web of Science core collection database. Specifically, we examine the growth of scholarship and the expanded scope of subject categories and relevant journals. We also analyze the research collaboration network based on authors’ affiliated institutions and countries. Finally, we identify major topics within the fields, how each topic relates to – and diverges from – one another, and their evolution over time. Overall, we …

New Knowledge, Better Decisions: Promoting Effective Policymaking Through Cybercrime Analysis, Austen D. Givens

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

This editorial introduction will present an overview of the four articles contained in this issue of the International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime. The articles examine the profiling of hackers, the role of the media in shaping public perceptions of cyberterrorism, research trends in cybersecurity and cybercrime, as well as the impacts of cyberbullying.

Threat Construction And Framing Of Cyberterrorism In The U.S. News Media, Mehmet F. Bastug, Ismail Onat, Ahmet Guler

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

This research aims to explore the influence of news media on the fear of cyberterrorism and how cyberterrorism is framed in the media. Using a mixed-method approach as a research strategy, this paper reports on two studies that explore the influence of news reading on the fear of cyberterrorism. The first study analyzed survey responses from 1,190 participants and found that increased exposure to reading news media was associated with increased fear of cyberterrorism. The second study, built on the first, sought to investigate how cyberterrorism is framed and constructed as a threat by the US local and national newspapers. …

Prevalence And Trends Of Depression Among Cyberbullied Adolescents - Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2011 – 2019, Jason Nicholson, Catherine Marcum, George E. Higgins

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

The difference in depression between non-cyberbullied and cyberbullied youth is not well understood. To describe the prevalence and trends in depression among cyberbullied adolescents. Using cross-sectional, nationally-representative data from the YRBS 2011 - 2019, we estimated the prevalence and trends of depression across the total years and within cyberbullied groups that include biological sex and race and ethnicity among adolescents. The results indicated the prevalence of depression was higher among those that were cyberbullied. Within the cyberbullied groups the total trend was higher than the non-cyberbullied, females had a higher prevalence of depression than males, and Hispanics had a higher …

Understanding The Connection Between Hackers And Their Hacks: Analyzing Usdoj Reports For Hacker Profiles, Joshua Gerstenfeld

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Recently, it seems as if hacking-related stories can be found in the news every day. To study, and hopefully prevent, this new type of crime, the field of cyber criminology has emerged. This study adds to the existing cybercrime literature by examining hacking behavior specifically. It determines if there is a relationship between the age, gender, and nationality of hackers and characteristics of the cyberattacks that they perpetrate. To do this, this study analyzes 122 United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) press reports from January 2019 to December 2021. Some key results include the finding that older hackers and international …

Chatgpt As Metamorphosis Designer For The Future Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai): A Conceptual Investigation, Amarjit Kumar Singh (Library Assistant), Dr. Pankaj Mathur (Deputy Librarian)

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this research paper is to explore ChatGPT’s potential as an innovative designer tool for the future development of artificial intelligence. Specifically, this conceptual investigation aims to analyze ChatGPT’s capabilities as a tool for designing and developing near about human intelligent systems for futuristic used and developed in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Also with the helps of this paper, researchers are analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of ChatGPT as a tool, and identify possible areas for improvement in its development and implementation. This investigation focused on the various features and functions of ChatGPT that …

Finding Forensic Evidence In The Operating System's Graphical User Interface, Edward X. Wilson Mr.

LSU Master's Theses

A branch of cyber security known as memory forensics focuses on extracting meaningful evidence from system memory. This analysis is often referred to as volatile memory analysis, and is generally performed on memory captures acquired from target systems. Inside of a memory capture is the complete state of a system under investigation, including the contents of currently running as well as previously executed applications. Analysis of this data can reveal a significant amount of activity that occurred on a system since the last reboot. For this research, the Windows operating system is targeted. In particular, the graphical user interface component …

Multivariate Fairness For Paper Selection, Reem Alsaffar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Peer review is the process by which publishers select the best publications for inclusion in a journal or a conference. Bias in the peer review process can impact which papers are selected for inclusion in conferences and journals. Although often implicit, race, gender and other demographics can prevent members of underrepresented groups from presenting at major conferences. To try to avoid bias, many conferences use a double-blind review process to increase fairness during reviewing. However, recent studies argue that the bias has not been removed completely. Our research focuses on developing fair algorithms that correct for these biases and select …

Understanding Deviance And Victimization In Cyber Space Among Diverse Populations, Insun Park

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Recent years have witnessed a growing academic interest in deviance and victimization in the cyber space. The current issue of the International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime features three empirical research articles on online behavior of traditionally under-researched populations and a review of much waited book on digital forensics and investigation. This paper was prepared to introduce these important scholarly works in the context of newly emerging scholarship that focuses on the experiences of diverse subgroups in cyberspace.

Aggressive Reality Docuseries And Cyberbullying: A Partial Test Of Glaser’S Differential Identification Theory, J. Ra’Chel Fowler, Darren R. Beneby, Kenethia L. Fuller

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Reality docuseries have dominated primetime airwaves for the greater part of three decades. However, little is known about how viewers who are enamored with the genre’s most aggressive characters are influenced. Using Glaser’s (1956) theory of differential identification, this study employs survey data from 210 college students at a historically Black college and university to explore whether identification with characters from aggressive reality docuseries (ARDs) and the frequency of viewing ARD are positively associated with cyberbullying. Results of multivariate analyses revealed that men were more likely than women to publicly shame others and air other’s dirty laundry online. Additionally, the …

Emerging Trends In Cybercrime Awareness In Nigeria, Ogochukwu Favour Nzeakor, Bonaventure N. Nwokeoma, Ibrahim Hassan, Benjamin Okorie Ajah, John T. Okpa

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

The study examined the current trend in cybercrime awareness and the relationship such trend has with cybercrime vulnerability or victimization. Selecting a sample of 1104 Internet users from Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria, We found that: 1) awareness of information security was high in that about 2 in every 3 (68%) participants demonstrated a favorable awareness of information security and cybercrime. It was, however, revealed that such a high level of awareness could be partial and weak. 2) most Internet users demonstrated the awareness of fraud-related cybercrime categories (39%), e-theft (15%), hacking (12%), and ATM theft (10%). However, they were rarely …

Book Review: Digital Forensics And Cyber Investigation

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Challenges Of Cryptography-Related Cybercrime And Its Investigation, Sinyong Choi, Katalin Parti

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Cryptography has been applied to a range of modern technologies which criminals also exploit to gain criminal rewards while hiding their identity. Although understanding of cybercrime involving this technique is necessary in devising effective preventive measures, little has been done to examine this area. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of the two articles, featured in the special issue of the International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime, that will enhance our understanding of cryptography-related crime, ranging from cryptocurrency and darknet market to password-cracking. The articles were presented by the winners of the student paper competition at the 2022 International …

Dynamics Of Dark Web Financial Marketplaces: An Exploratory Study Of Underground Fraud And Scam Business, Bo Ra Jung, Kyung-Shick Choi, Claire Seungeun Lee

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

The number of Dark Web financial marketplaces where Dark Web users and sellers actively trade illegal goods and services anonymously has been growing exponentially in recent years. The Dark Web has expanded illegal activities via selling various illicit products, from hacked credit cards to stolen crypto accounts. This study aims to delineate the characteristics of the Dark Web financial market and its scams. Data were derived from leading Dark Web financial websites, including Hidden Wiki, Onion List, and Dark Web Wiki, using Dark Web search engines. The study combines statistical analysis with thematic analysis of Dark Web content. Offering promotions …

Kerberoasting: Case Studies Of An Attack On A Cryptographic Authentication Technology, D Demers, Hannarae Lee

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Kerberoasting, an attack vector aimed at the Kerberos authentication protocol, can be used as part of an adversary’s attack arsenal. Kerberos is a type of network authentication protocol that allows a client and server to conduct a mutual verification before providing the requested resource to the client. A successful Kerberoasting attack allows an adversary to leverage the architectural limitations of Kerberos, providing access to user password hashes that can be subject to offline cracking. A cracked user password could give a bad actor the ability to maintain persistence, move laterally, or escalate privileges in a system. Persistence or movement within …

Side-Channel Analysis On Post-Quantum Cryptography Algorithms, Tristen Teague

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The advancements of quantum computers brings us closer to the threat of our current asymmetric cryptography algorithms being broken by Shor's Algorithm. NIST proposed a standardization effort in creating a new class of asymmetric cryptography named Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). These new algorithms will be resistant against both classical computers and sufficiently powerful quantum computers. Although the new algorithms seem mathematically secure, they can possibly be broken by a class of attacks known as side-channels attacks (SCA). Side-channel attacks involve exploiting the hardware that the algorithm runs on to figure out secret values that could break the security of the system. …

Understanding Cybercrime Offending And Victimization Patterns From A Global Perspective, Jin R. Lee

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Cybercrime research within criminology and criminal justice sciences has increased over the past few decades, improving the knowledge and evidence-base around cybercrime offending and victimization generally. While earlier cybercrime studies were based primarily in the United States, there has been a recent surge in studies using international samples and multidisciplinary approaches to understand cybercrime patterns. The current issue of the International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime consists of four articles that seek to advance our understanding of cybercrime behaviors from a global perspective. To that end, the objective of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the …

The Relationship Between Parenting Practices And Cyberbullying Perpetration: The Mediating Role Of Moral Beliefs, Jaeyong Choi, Seungmug (Zech) Lee, Layne Dittmann

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Criminologists and psychologists have long recognized that parenting practices can affect childhood outcomes and the development of moral beliefs in children. Another body of literature provides evidence that morality is a key cause of antisocial behavior. Yet, a noticeable gap in this line of work has been testing the mediation effects of parenting practices on cyberbullying via moral beliefs. Using a sample of South Korean adolescents, we tested whether moral beliefs mediate the relationships between parenting practices and cyberbullying perpetration. Results show that parental supervision and excessive parenting can influence cyberbullying perpetration and that the impact of parenting practices is …

Social Construction Of Internet Fraud As Innovation Among Youths In Nigeria, Austin Ayodele Mr., Jonathan Kehinde Oyedeji, Huthman Olamide Badmos

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

The proliferation of internet technologies has shaped interactions in contemporary society. Despite the pivotal importance of the internet to the global economy, it has several negative consequences such as internet fraud. This study examined the perception that young adults in Nigeria hold about internet fraud as an innovative means to economic survival rather than as a criminal enterprise. Robert Merton’s Anomie/Strain Theory (AST) was adopted as the theoretical thrust of the study. Adopting a qualitative data collection method, 15 participants were selected using the non-probabilistic purposive and snowballing techniques while opinions were sampled through in-depth interviews in different locations within …

Cybersecurity Risk In U.S. Critical Infrastructure: An Analysis Of Publicly Available U.S. Government Alerts And Advisories, Zachary Lanz

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

As threat actor operations become increasingly sophisticated and emphasize the targeting of critical infrastructure and services, the need for cybersecurity information sharing will continue to grow. Escalating demand for cyber threat intelligence and information sharing across the cybersecurity community has resulted in the need to better understand the information produced by reputable sources such as U.S. CISA Alerts and ICS-CERT advisories. The text analysis program, Profiler Plus, is used to extract information from 1,574 U.S. government alerts and advisories to develop visualizations and generate enhanced insights into different cyber threat actor types, the tactics which can be used for cyber …

Password Managers: Secure Passwords The Easy Way, Alexander Master

CERIAS Technical Reports

Poor passwords are often the central problem identified when data breaches, ransomware attacks, and identity fraud cases occur. This Purdue Extension publication provides everyday users of Internet websites and computer systems with tools and strategies to protect their online accounts. Securing information access with password managers can be convenient and often free of cost, on a variety of devices and platforms. “Do’s and Don’ts” of password practices are highlighted, as well as the benefits of multi-factor authentication. The content is especially applicable for small businesses or non-profits, where employees often share access to systems or accounts.

Timestamp Estimation From Outdoor Scenes, Tawfiq Salem, Jisoo Hwang, Rafael Padilha

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The increasing availability of smartphones allowed people to easily capture and share images on the internet. These images are often associated with metadata, including the image capture time (timestamp) and the location where the image was captured (geolocation). The metadata associated with images provides valuable information to better understand scenes and events presented in these images. The timestamp can be manipulated intentionally to provide false information to convey a twisted version of reality. Images with manipulated timestamps are often used as a cover-up for wrongdoing or broadcasting false claims and competing views on the internet. Estimating the time of capture …

Anatomy Of An Internet Hijack And Interception Attack: A Global And Educational Perspective, Ben A. Scott, Michael N. Johnstone, Patryk Szewczyk

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The Internet’s underlying vulnerable protocol infrastructure is a rich target for cyber crime, cyber espionage and cyber warfare operations. The stability and security of the Internet infrastructure are important to the function of global matters of state, critical infrastructure, global e-commerce and election systems. There are global approaches to tackle Internet security challenges that include governance, law, educational and technical perspectives. This paper reviews a number of approaches to these challenges, the increasingly surgical attacks that target the underlying vulnerable protocol infrastructure of the Internet, and the extant cyber security education curricula; we find the majority of predominant cyber security …

Toward A Student-Ready Cybersecurity Program: Findings From A Survey Of Stem-Students, Lora Pitman, Brian K. Payne, Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, Lenora Thorbjornsen

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

As the number of available cybersecurity jobs continues to grow, colleges strive to offer to their cybersecurity students an environment which will make them sufficiently prepared to enter the workforce after graduation. This paper explores the academic and professional needs of STEM-students in various higher education institutions across Virginia and how cybersecurity programs can cater to these needs. It also seeks to propose an evidence-based approach for improving the existing cybersecurity programs so that they can become more inclusive and student-ready. A survey of 251 college students in four higher-education institutions in Virginia showed that while there are common patterns …

A Lightweight Reliably Quantified Deepfake Detection Approach, Tianyi Wang, Kam Pui Chow

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Deepfake has brought huge threats to society such that everyone can become a potential victim. Current Deepfake detection approaches have unsatisfactory performance in either accuracy or efficiency. Meanwhile, most models are only evaluated on different benchmark test datasets with different accuracies, which could not imitate the real-life Deepfake unknown population. As Deepfake cases have already been raised and brought challenges at the court, it is disappointed that no existing work has studied the model reliability and attempted to make the detection model act as the evidence at the court. We propose a lightweight Deepfake detection deep learning approach using the …