Malicious minds: Psychological profiling of ransomware attackers and policing challenges
Author Identifier
Oliver Guidetti: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4235-4259
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Title
Ransomware Evolution
First Page
175
Last Page
191
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
77603
Abstract
This chapter discusses the profile of ransomware attackers and suggests more ecologically valid research methods that could help understand and police cybercriminals. Ransomware, one of the most formidable digital challenges institutions, businesses, and individuals face, often involves attackers driven by financial gains. However, a subset exists with motivations that transcend profit, including deeply personal grievances, ideological beliefs, or psychopathic tendencies. This chapter reviews various psychological and personality frameworks, including the Big Five and HEXACO models, to understand these diverse motivations better. The increasing availability of ransomware-as-a-service on dark web marketplaces highlights the necessity to re-examine the research on cyber crime profiling. This chapter's objective is to advocate for more empirical research of ransomware attackers and to outline a new and innovative approach to cybercriminal research that could give researchers access to dark web cybercriminal communities. This approach would be instrumental in advancing the modern understanding of cybercrimes like ransomware. The human dynamics behind these attacks present unique challenges for law enforcement agencies, requiring a multifaceted approach that combines traditional cybercrime investigation techniques with insights from behavioural sciences.
DOI
10.1201/9781003469506-13
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
Guidetti, O., & Mather, S. (2024). Malicious minds: Psychological profiling of ransomware attackers and policing challenges. In Ransomware evolution (pp. 175-191). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003469506-13