The Dissection of a Hacking Milieu: A Multilevel Network Analysis

• In Event: Innovative Approaches Towards Better Understanding Cybercrimes

Abstract

Objective: The study’s objectives are twofold: First, to investigate the inter- and intragroup behavior of hackers and the underlying mechanisms shaping their social structure. Second, to explore the dynamic relationship individual characteristics and network positioning.
Data/Methods: Data was drawn over a twelve-month period from an online repository for website defacements. Each defacement incident was self-reported by a hacker and contained information on their group affiliation. Utilizing this connection between hackers (n = 786) and the groups (n = 123) they form; a social structure was generated using network analysis. To account for group-level effects in light of shifting memberships, the study employed multiple membership multilevel modelling.
Results: Findings suggest dynamic interplay between network attributes and positioning at both the hacker and group levels. Moreover, findings highlight the significance of jointly addressing cybercriminal behavior across multiple levels of analyses while also accounting for the transitory nature of group memberships.
Conclusions/Implications: Taken together, these findings offer deep insight into the illicit ecosystem of hackers and provide a robust framework for research to explore. These findings can also serve as guidance towards bolstering network disruption or online threat intelligence efforts.

Authors

• Robert Cody Perkins, Georgia State University

• Olena Antonaccio, University of Miami

• C. Jordan Howell, University of South Florida

• David Maimon, Georgia State University