NESTA Crime Online - University of Brighton Repository

hours of an official vulnerability disclosure. The survey also revealed that in the first half
of 2008 attacks targeting flaws in browser plug-ins are increasing markedly. 191 Also in
the first half of 2008, around 78 per cent of web browser exploits targeted browser plug-
in bugs. 192 Web browser plug-ins are additional pieces of software that add extra
capabilities to a web browser, such as the ability to view movies and videos, and other
types of web content.
Cybercriminals use peer-to-peer (P2P) tools for identity theft. 193 Using P2P tools to share
music, software and other digital content is similar to leaving the front door of a house
wide open for a burglar to saunter in. A woman’s credit card details were found in
disparate places such as Troy, Michigan, Tobago and Slovenia because her shared music
folder was making her entire “My Documents” folder available to P2P audience for 24
hours a day. 194
Another key way cybercriminals effectively solicit data illegally is through spamming.
The skills deployed vary in their sophistication. An example of a low skill used in
spamming involves sending bulk unsolicited e-mails requesting personal details. One
example is the notorious ‘Nigerian Letter’ scam (also called the ‘419 fraud’). 195 This
involves e-mails from Nigeria in which the target is enticed to advance sums of money in
the hope of realising a significantly larger gain, particularly through high returns from
the unsuspecting victim’s ‘investment’.
The skills for spamming, however, are becoming more sophisticated. Spammers are
going back to basics. 196 Nine out of ten spam messages now contain little more than a
191 John Leyden, (2008), “Cybercrooks get faster, further, nastier,” The Register, 29 th July.
192 A plug-in consists of a piece of software that interacts with a web application to provide a very specific
function "on demand." Applications support plug-ins for many reasons, for instance, to enable other developers
to create new applications.
193 A peer-to-peer (P2P) computer network uses diverse connectivity between participants in a network. Such
networks are useful for sharing content files containing audio, video, data or anything in digital format..
194 Chris Preimerberger, (2006), “Cyber-criminals use P2P tools for Identity Theft, Security analyst Warns.”
www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Cybercriminals-Use-P2P-Tools-for-Identity-Theft-Security-Analyst-Warns/,
accessed 18 th August 2008.
195 This is also referred to as the “Advance Fee Fraud”, named “419 Fraud” after the relevant section of the
Nigerian Criminal Code.
196 John Leyden, (2008), “Cybercrooks get faster, further, nastier,” The Register, 29 th July. See also Guillaume
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