Cybercrimeology

Hackting Out: Defacement and Hate Online amid Global Conflicts

Episode Summary

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Alice Hutchings and her PhD student, Anh Vu, from the University of Cambridge, delve into the intricate world of cybercrime amidst global conflicts, with a special focus on the challenges of deplatforming hate groups. They discuss their research at the Cambridge Cybercrime Centre, focusing on the surge of hacker defacements and DDoS attacks in response to international tensions, notably the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel-Gaza. Additionally, they explore the complexities of deplatforming online hate groups, using the case of Kiwi Farms as an example of how difficult it can be to mitigate the activities of these groups without unintended consequences. Dr. Hutchings and Anh Vu highlight how these cyber incidents reflect broader geopolitical dynamics and the persistent challenge of controlling harmful online behavior while respecting free speech. Their analysis provides a comprehensive view of the cyber dimensions of warfare and online community management.

Episode Notes

 Notes:

• Introduction to Cybercrime Research: Dr. Hutchings and Ahn Vu introduce their work at the Cambridge Cybercrime Centre.
• Global Conflicts and Cyber Activities: Discussion on how global conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and Israel-Gaza, spur cybercrime activities like website defacements and DDoS attacks.
• Cyber Tactics During Warfare: Insights into how cyber tactics are employed quickly after conflicts start, with a focus on how these activities serve both political propaganda and cybercriminal interests.
• Deplatforming Hate Groups: In-depth analysis of the challenges faced when deplatforming hate groups, specifically referencing the Kiwi Farms case.
• Temporary Effects of Cyber Attacks: Observations on the short-lived nature of heightened cyber activities post-conflict, with a decline in interest and activities after initial spikes.
• Challenges of Cybercrime Research: Discussion on the difficulties in tracking and attributing cyber attacks, particularly those by decentralized and loosely organized groups.
• Unintended Consequences of Deplatforming: Exploration of how attempts to silence harmful online communities can lead to increased attention and unintended reinforcement of these groups.
• Closing Thoughts: Dr. Hutchings and Ahn Vu summarize the ongoing challenges and the evolving landscape of cybercrime in the context of international security and online governance.

About our guests:

Dr. Alice Hutchings:

https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~ah793/

Anh V. Vu

https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk/people/vv301

Papers or resources mentioned in this episode:

Anh V. Vu, Alice Hutchings, Ross Anderson. No Easy Way Out: the Effectiveness of Deplatforming an Extremist Forum to Suppress Hate and Harassment. In Proceedings of the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy (S&P'24)

Anh V. Vu, Daniel R. Thomas, Ben Collier, Alice Hutchings, Richard Clayton, Ross Anderson. Getting Bored of Cyberwar: Exploring the Role of Low-level Cybercrime Actors in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict. In Proceedings of the ACM World Wide Web Conference (WWW'24)

Other:

• No AI's were harmed during the creation of this episode, however they were definitely involved in the work of editing and drafting copy.
• If you want to hear more from Dr. Hutchings, you can find her way back on episode 4 .... 101 episodes ago ....
• Apologies if the end of the episode seemed a little loud.