Jonathan Lusthaus

This project examines cybercriminal business models. It is centred on the analysis of case studies of closed cybercriminal investigations. The researchers gained access to legal files and carried out interviews with investigators for each case. The case studies have involved offenders from Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Nigeria and elsewhere. Some key findings include: that there is a broad spectrum of cybercriminal business models; there is also a common divide between the technical and business components of cybercrime operations; the importance of the offline and local dimension of these operations should also be noted. In short, many cybercrime operations are very business-like. Some groups are organised like illicit firms, and numerous business models are surprisingly stable and entrenched.