A Review of: Identity Theft the Next Generation of Fraud—How Well are the Irish Protecting Themselves? by A Keaney and D Remenyi, JIW, Volume 7, Number 1, Published 2008
A Review of: Identity Theft the Next Generation of Fraud—How Well are the Irish Protecting Themselves? by A Keaney and D Remenyi, JIW, Volume 7, Number 1, Published 2008
This is a very interesting and thought-provoking paper that, while almost two decades old, has held up surprisingly well considering how dramatically the technology has changed since 2008. For example, few would have thought that biometrics would be an integral part of mobile cyber security or that QR codes would be universally used by all. Most of this study was focused on traditional credit card use, which, while still important, has become only one of a number of ways that consumers can use to transfer funds such as Venmo and PayPal, all of which open up new vectors for scams and fraud to be perpetrated.
What the JIW leadership thought most interesting from a psychology aspect, is that the attitudes and personal behaviors have not improved as much as one would have hoped over time. When one looks at the ways that fraud is conducted now, compared to when this research was conducted, it does not seem like the general population is any more sophisticated than it was nearly 20 years ago.
An interesting aspect in the original article was the focus on identity theft, where today it is more concentrated on simple credit card fraud or financial gain. The current gangs or rings are not typically interested in perpetuating a long deception of persona but instead in the fast purchase of high-ticket items that they can resell quickly. Another change in the technology is that social media back then was not in use, so that fraud in 2008 was primarily fiscal, while in 2026, someone can actually take over your virtual identity he or she was able to get the accounts and passwords for your online accounts such as Facebook.
There are of course some items that have changed dramatically from the original study to include:
- Majority of bills were still sent via regular mail
- The differences in how the Irish and/or Americans college age students treated data
- The age group with the highest number of reports of identity theft is 19–29-year-olds
Recent studies indicate that while the University cohort may be more sophisticated from a fraud aspect than their colleagues were in the original paper, in fact the most dangerous group may be adults of 60 or over,who by current studies, are the least sophisticated at this point.
I think what really struck the JIW leadership on this paper and the current situation is how the general public is still so nonchalant about the dangers of identity theft and yet, this same cohort lives and dies by its mobile connections. For a group that spends an inordinate amount of time online, it is still rather unconcerned about protecting its identity. It is only when they lose significant amounts of money do they belatedly realize the importance of cybersecurity.
AUTHORS
Peregrine Technical Solutions, LLC Yorktown, VA
Dr. Leigh Armistead is the President of Peregrine Technical Solutions, a certified 8(a) small business that specializes in cyber security, and the Chief Editor of the Journal of Information Warfare. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy (1984), earned a master’s degree in Military History from Old Dominion University (1993), and a doctorate in Computer and Information Science from Edith Cowan University (2009). His major field of study is cyber power. He has published three books—all of which focus on the full spectrum of information warfare. He founded the International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security, and the Vice-Chair Working Group 9.10–ICT Uses in Peace and War. He is a retired Naval officer.
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Journal of Information Warfare
The definitive publication for the best and latest research and analysis on information warfare, information operations, and cyber crime. Available in traditional hard copy or online.
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