[LINK] Automatically Identifying Cyber-criminals

[Tom Worthington]

Greetings from the Australian National University in Canberra where Dr 
Robert Layton, Research Associate, Internet Commerce Security Laboratory 
(ICSL), University of Ballarat, is discussing how to automatically 
identify cyber-criminals. He uses artificial intelligence software to 
compare document created on-line for Phishing. The software can identify 
which documents are from the same criminal gangs, so that those gangs 
can be targeted. Also the software can be used to monitor on-line chat 
rooms where illicit good are bought and sold, to identify those 
involved. Also the source code of malware can be subject to analysis to 
see if it has a common author.

Robert pointed out that response to such activities by authorities has 
to be prompt. It is possible to contact the host provider where an 
illegal activity is identified and ask for it to be "taken down". But 
the criminal can ear a significant amount of money in the hours or days 
this takes.

While  Robert was discussing identifying criminal activities, the same 
techniques would be applicable in defending from attack in 
cyber-warfare.  One of the major problems in cyber-warfare is knowing 
who is attacking you. An attacker can disguise a coordinated attack as a 
series of apparently unconnected non-state sponsored criminal acts. In 
this way the attacker can avoid retaliation, on-line or by kinetic means 
(that is by using conventional military force). If the attacker can be 
identified then they can be targeted using a cyber-attack, electronic 
warfare or using a bomb, missile or special forces raid.

Papers by Dr Robert Layton: 
http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=7OkhvkMAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra


-- 
Tom Worthington FACS CP, TomW Communications Pty Ltd. t: 0419496150
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617, Australia  http://www.tomw.net.au
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Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Research School of Computer Science,
Australian National University http://cs.anu.edu.au/courses/COMP7310/