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The impact of cybercrime and cybersecurity on Nigeria's national security
Adisa, Omolola Tobiloba ; Erkomaishvili, David (advisor) ; Gillies, Allan (referee)
The rapid digitisation of the last decade has transformed global interconnectedness but has concurrently birthed challenges like cybercrime. This research delved into Nigeria's cybercrimelandscape, focusing on its implications for national security. With the rise of cybercrime leadingto economic losses of billions, the study aimed to pinpoint sociological and technological drivers, such as unemployment and digital growth, contributing to the menace. Cybercriminal subcultures, like the "Yahoo Boys", have emerged, depicting a societal trust deficit and culturalinclinations towards cyber malfeasance. The research also assessed Nigeria's cybersecurity measures, including the Cybercrime Act 2015. While the Act signifies the nation's resolve, gapsin its enforcement diminish its effectiveness. Moreover, central to Nigeria's digital aspirations,small and medium enterprises emerge as especially vulnerable to cyber threats. As the countrygrapples with this dual challenge of digital growth and cyber vulnerabilities, a multifaceted strategy involving legislation, technology, public engagement, and global collaboration is pivotal. The study underscores the urgency for a collective response involving policymakers, businesses, and citizens to ensure a secure digital future for Nigeria. The findings contribute...
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The Ukraine cyber war: an analysis of the Russian cyber doctrine for comparing the Ukraine National Cyber Security Strategy with those of other western countries
Berting, Frans Sebastiaan ; Erkomaishvili, David (advisor) ; Peacock, Timothy (referee)
Since the start of the Ukraine war Ukraine has experienced a threefold increase of cyber- attacks from Russia. Ukraine, the United States, Germany, and France have already experienced continuous cyber-attacks from Russia since 2014. Although the National Cyber Security Strategies (NCSSs) from the latter three have already been compared amongst each other and others in academic literature, the NCSS of Ukraine has not. No NCSS has also been analysed for resiliency against the Russian cyber doctrine. The main research question answered was: what can states and organisations learn from the NCSS of Ukraine, compared to the United States, Germany and France assessed on their resiliency against the Russian cyber-attack doctrine since 2014? The question was answered with the help of three research questions. The first aimed to analyse the Russian cyber doctrine before and after the start of the war and develop a framework with the most common targets and Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) with which NCSSs can be compared against each other on scores based on their resilience. The most common targets have been those of critical infrastructure sectors and TTPs being DDoS, phishing, and ransomware. The second research question aimed to see which NCSS was most resilient, which was the one of Ukraine. This was...
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The impact of institutional weakness on the presence of organised crime: A case study on Paraguay and organised crime in the Triple Frontier
Martinez Cristaldo, Clara Elizabeth ; Kaunert, Christian (advisor) ; Erkomaishvili, David (referee)
This thesis examines the institutional weakness of the Paraguayan state and its impact on the presence of organised crime in the Tri-border region between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. To do so, it employs a methodological design based on a case study of the institutional weakness of the Paraguayan state and its implications for the development of organised crime activities during the presidential term of Horacio Cartes (2013-2018). The methodological design also includes two sub-case studies analysing the institutional weakness of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the National Police, as well as the infiltration of organised crime in these institutions. The analysis allows for the identification of common patterns between the two institutions which reveals institutional weakness due to non-compliance and instability. Furthermore, these results go hand-in-hand with the presence of organised crime in the tri-border area during the period under study. This criminal presence was consolidated by the commission of various acts of violence that were rarely perpetrated by organized crime in Paraguay before the period of study. There is a close link between the presence of organised crime groups and the weakness of the Paraguayan state. Therefore, policies aimed to mitigate organised crime should not...
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Territorial Loss to Organized Crime: Assessing National Security Challenges in Mexico and Brazil
Huerta Ludlow, Anna Gabriela ; Erkomaishvili, David (advisor) ; Kaunert, Christian (referee)
IN ENGLISH This dissertation delves into the intricate interplay between organized crime, territorial control, and state sovereignty in the context of Latin America. The study focuses on unraveling the multifaceted processes through which organized crime groups erode a state's ability to maintain territorial integrity and exercise sovereignty. By comparing the experiences of Mexico and Brazil, two countries grappling with the pervasive influence of organized crime, this research aims to provide valuable insights into the dynamics that shape security policies in the region. The research question at the heart of this study explores the mechanisms by which organized crime groups undermine a state's territorial control and sovereignty in Latin America. The investigation is underpinned by a comprehensive review of existing literature, identifying gaps that necessitate a deeper exploration of this complex issue. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, the study engages with both empirical data and narrative accounts to gain a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. In Mexico, the penetration of organized crime into state structures has led to a corrosion of governance and the rule of law. This infiltration, characterized by corruption and power vacuums, challenges...
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The Cyber Social Phenomenon of Doxing: An Examination of Hong Kong's Anti-doxing Law
Ung, Siev Thean ; Berg, Julie (advisor) ; Erkomaishvili, David (referee)
1 Abstract Doxing is a relatively new practice and phenomenon that emerged within the cyberspace, and there have been limited studies providing insights into this practice, especially concerning the legal measures available to address this practice. Hong Kong has recently experienced a widespread doxing phenomenon in light of social unrests stemming from the 2019 protest movement, and as a response, has introduced a legislative amendment to address this issue. This research paper aims to investigate and examine doxing and its effects in Hong Kong, as well as to investigate and understand how doxing is legally addressed in Hong Kong. It specifically examines the legislative text of the 2021 Amendment as well as other governmental publications in order to answer to three research questions: 1) What are the challenges that doxing posed to law enforcement?; 2) How has doxing in Hong Kong been addressed by the 2021 Amendment?; and 3) What are law enforcement's response to doxing after legal measures were introduced to address doxing? This research study observed the challenges that law enforcement faced before the 2021 Amendment, legal measures that were introduced, and how law enforcement responded to doxing after the 2021 Amendment. These points serve as a basis for discussion on the literature on doxing and...
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The role of Internet Service Providers in protecting digital rights
Fernandez Nieto, Berenice ; Erkomaishvili, David (advisor) ; Hardman, Helen (referee)
This dissertation is motivated by the need to comprehend the role of private players in regulating internet activity, how it alters states' security activities, and impacts human rights. Particularly, this research focuses on Internet Service Providers' role in preserving digital rights, with the Organisation of American States and the European Union serving as cases of study. The comparative analysis examines the liability regimes developed in both regions and how they interact with human rights legislation, copyright protection and national security obligations. The aim is to explore the legal burden of ISPs in the digital sphere and comprehend how their actions impact citizens' freedoms. The findings provide an overview of the condition of internet governance in the Americas and Europe, the priorities that shaped the current legislation and the most pressing challenges ahead. Keywords Internet Service Providers, Digital Rights, Liability Regime, digital Governance, Data Protection, Net Neutrality
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Moving Toward Strategic Cyber War Theory? Analysis of Russian State-backed Cyber Attacks
Green, Joshua ; Erkomaishvili, David (advisor) ; Landovský, Jakub (referee)
This thesis analysed cyber-attacks conducted by two pairs of nation states (Russia/Ukraine and Iran/Israel) against each other, through the lens of Jan Kallberg's Strategic Cyberwar Theory in order to determine if elements of the theory are being applied and if so, how they are being applied. This thesis also attempts to give insights as to whether this represents a shift towards the Strategic Cyber War Theory becoming a practical reality. The thesis finds that elements of Kallberg's theory are clearly visible, to varying degrees, in the offensive campaigns conducted by all the nation states studied. Each nation state employed a different strategy in terms of which pillars of society and organisations were targeted. All the evidence points towards cyber-attacks becoming a more important tool for nation states pursuing their political and strategic goals. However, the notion of the Strategic Cyber War Theory becoming a reality is far more uncertain, with other tools likely to remain more important, particularly during wartime (such as the traditional branches of military service). If a level of technological sophistication can be reached where cyber-attacks can be conducted which have the disruptive capabilities of the NotPetya cyber-attack seen in 2017 but are able to be maintained over a...
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