A systematic review of crime facilitated by the consumer Internet of Things

Blythe, John M.; Johnson, Shane D.

doi:10.1057/s41284-019-00211-8

Cited by 32 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…For example, research has shown that-by taking advantage of hardware or protocol flaws-attackers can exploit man-in-the-middle attacks to intercept communications from and to wearable devices to steal personal information, invading user's privacy and exposing them to the risk of identity theft [7]. Attackers can also take advantage of the weak authentication and encryption protocols used in many cameras enabling them to eavesdrop on camera streams [8], again raising privacy concerns and creating opportunities for crime [9]. Such concerns may impede consumer confidence in, and the uptake of, the benefits the IoT promises to deliver [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of IoT security labelling on consumer product choice and willingness to pay

et al. 2020

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The Internet of Things (IoT) brings internet connectivity to everyday electronic devices (e.g. security cameras and smart TVs) to improve their functionality and efficiency. However, serious security and privacy concerns have been raised about the IoT which impact upon consumer trust and purchasing. Moreover, devices vary considerably in terms of the security they provide, and it is difficult for consumers to differentiate between more and less secure devices. One proposal to address this is for devices to carry a security label to help consumers navigate the market and know which devices to trust, and to encourage manufacturers to improve security. Using a discrete choice experiment, we estimate the potential impact of such labels on participant's purchase decision making, along with device functionality and price. With the exception of a label that implied weak security, participants were significantly more likely to select a device that carried a label than one that did not. While they were generally willing to pay the most for premium functionality, for two of the labels tested, they were prepared to pay the same for security and functionality. Qualitative responses suggested that participants would use a label to inform purchasing decisions, and that the labels did not generate a false sense of security. Our findings suggest that the use of a security label represents a policy option that could influence behaviour and that should be seriously considered.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of IoT security labelling on consumer product choice and willingness to pay

et al. 2020

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“…While systematic reviews are generally used to synthesise findings about existing or historic issues in an unbiased way, the approach has a substantial value in helping to identify and organise material about future issues [40], in this case crimes that might be facilitated by biotechnology, synthetic biology and genetic engineering. The aim of the review proposed here is to identify what is and what is not known about these issues to guide future research in this field and to identify potential policy implications.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is difficult to assess the quality of the evidence of an event happening (i.e., crime type), when it has not happened yet (i.e., emerging crime type). A recently published systematic review shares this difficulty [40]. Moreover, it is expected that the extracted studies will consist of both quantitative and qualitative study designs.…”

Section: Data Extraction and Quality Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review protocol for crime trends facilitated by synthetic biology

Elgabry

Nesbeth

Johnson³

2020

Syst Rev

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Background: When new technologies are developed, it is common for their crime and security implications to be overlooked or given inadequate attention, which can lead to a 'crime harvest'. Potential methods for the criminal exploitation of biotechnology need to be understood to assess their impact, evaluate current policies and interventions and inform the allocation of limited resources efficiently. Recent studies have illustrated some of the security implications of biotechnology, with outcomes of misuse ranging from compromised computers using malware stored in synthesised DNA, infringement of intellectual property on biological matter, synthesis of new threatening viruses, 'genetic genocide,' and the exploitation of food markets with genetically modified crops. However, there exists no synthesis of this information, and no formal quality assessment of the current evidence. This review therefore aims to establish what current and/or predicted crimes have been reported as a result of biotechnology. Methods: A systematic review will be conducted to identify relevant literature. ProQuest, Web of Science, MEDLINE and USENIX will be searched utilizing a predefined search string, and Backward and Forward searches. Grey literature will be identified by searching the official UK Government website (www.gov.uk) and the Global database of Dissertations and Theses. The review will be conducted by screening title/abstracts followed by full texts, utilising pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Papers will be managed using Eppi-center Reviewer 4 software, and data will be organised using a data extraction table using a descriptive coding tool. A predefined rating system (speculative, experimental or currently occurring) will be used to sort studies, and a thematic synthesis of the results will be presented. Discussion: Despite the concerns raised about the misuse of biotechnology, no previous work has been conducted from a Crime Science perspective to collate and assess the literature. This systematic review aims to identify the types of offending activity facilitated by biotechnology, including synthetic biology and genetic engineering. The objective of the review is to examine whether this offending activity can be prevented by assessing the conditions necessary for the crime events to occur. It is anticipated that evidence generated from this review will guide future research in this area and aid relevant stakeholders to prioritise and allocate limited resources to biotechnology crime prevention. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42019131685

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“…Typically, SRs are conducted to synthesize evidence on “what works” in fields such as medicine (Curtis and Cairncross, 2003 ) where data are plentiful. However, SRs are also useful where data are more fragmented and for emerging issues, such as new crime trends, where they can help summarize the state-of-the-art, assess the quality of the existing research, identify gaps in knowledge and encourage further work, where needed (Blythe and Johnson, 2019 ). Here, four objectives were pursued, to synthesize the evidence on:…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of the Criminogenic Potential of Synthetic Biology and Routes to Future Crime Prevention

Elgabry

Nesbeth

Johnson

2020

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.

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Synthetic biology has the potential to positively transform society in many application areas, including medicine. In common with all revolutionary new technologies, synthetic biology can also enable crime. Like cybercrime, that emerged following the advent of the internet, biocrime can have a significant effect on society, but may also impact on peoples' health. For example, the scale of harm caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic illustrates the potential impact of future biocrime and highlights the need for prevention strategies. Systematic evidence quantifying the crime opportunities posed by synthetic biology has to date been very limited. Here, we systematically reviewed forms of crime that could be facilitated by synthetic biology with a view to informing their prevention. A total of 794 articles from four databases were extracted and a three-step screening phase resulted in 15 studies that met our threshold criterion for thematic synthesis. Within those studies, 13 exploits were identified. Of these, 46% were dependent on technologies characteristic of synthetic biology. Eight potential crime types emerged from the studies: bio-discrimination, cyber-biocrime, bio-malware, biohacking, at-home drug manufacturing, illegal gene editing, genetic blackmail, and neuro-hacking. 14 offender types were identified. For the most commonly identified offenders (>3 mentions) 40% were outsider threats. These observations suggest that synthetic biology presents substantial new offending opportunities. Moreover, that more effective engagement, such as ethical hacking, is needed now to prevent a crime harvest from developing in the future. A framework to address the synthetic biology crime landscape is proposed.

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A systematic review of crime facilitated by the consumer Internet of Things

Cited by 32 publications

References 55 publications

The impact of IoT security labelling on consumer product choice and willingness to pay

The impact of IoT security labelling on consumer product choice and willingness to pay

A systematic review protocol for crime trends facilitated by synthetic biology

A Systematic Review of the Criminogenic Potential of Synthetic Biology and Routes to Future Crime Prevention

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