Cybercrime now operates like a business. Its goods and services may be illicit, but it is highly organized, complex, driven by profit, and globally interconnected. Jonathan Lusthaus will discuss his recent book, which examines the underground economy and how it works. In particular, it seeks to make sense of the strategies cybercriminals use to build a thriving industry in a low-trust environment characterized by a precarious combination of anonymity and teamwork. It is based on 7 years of fieldwork in cybercrime hotspots around the world, including in Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Brazil, Nigeria, China, and the USA. The core source of data is interviews with almost 250 law enforcement agents, security professionals, and former cybercriminals.

Jonathan is Director of The Human Cybercriminal Project in the Department of Sociology, a Research Associate at the Centre for Technology and Global Affairs, and a Research Fellow at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. He recently completed a seven-year global study on the organization of cybercrime published by Harvard University Press as Industry of Anonymity: Inside the Business of Cybercrime.

All are welcome. Lunch will be provided at 12.15pm.