Abstract: Criminals have always been alive to the possibilities of new technologies. The modernization of ‘traditional’ crimes such as drug trafficking, terrorism, money laundering and extortion through the frequent incorporation of computer and mobile technologies is well known.
Alongside the structural rigidity of old crime, criminal organisations are forever pioneering and seizing opportunities for new illegal enterprises made possible by the Internet and the continuing growth of electronic commerce – this type of innovation now represents the cutting edge of global criminal activity. These new opportunities require new skills but also hold out the potential for greater illicit profits. Cybercrime thus represents both the growing sophistication of existing criminal behaviour and the mergence of new types of illegal activity. This seminar reports the findings of a
NESTA sponsored study which explores credit card fraud and identify theft through a business and innovation perspective – looking, in particular at value chains, dynamic capabilities and business modelling.
Howard has worked in science and technology policy since 1974. After eight years at SPRU, he worked in the electronics sector at the National Economic Development Office, before joining the
University of Brighton. A founder member of CENTRIM, Howard was also a director of the ESRC’s
Complex Product Systems (CoPS) Innovation Centre. He is the author of numerous books and journal articles, having conducted research and consultancies for the UK Research Councils, the OECD, the
European Commission, the UK Department of Trade and Industry, and several United Nations
Agencies.