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
• Grant Number(s): 2010-IJ-CX-1676
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored)
• Award: Examining the Structure, Organization, and Processes of the International Market for Stolen Data Online

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)