Solving Cyber Crime

Management information systems professor Dr. Randal Vaughn, BS '71, MS '72, will present at the second annual Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) Counter-eCrime Operations Summit (CeCOS II), May 26 and 27 in Tokyo.
The Summit will host operations experts, researchers, security professionals and law enforcement officials from around the world in a discussion of operational issues and resources for counter-eCrime professionals who protect consumers and enterprises from daily threats.
Vaughn's presentation regarding eCrime and the Global Communications Infrastructure focuses on botnets, an increasingly popular source of Internet scams he has studied since 2004.
Botnets are used for multiple purposes, including credential theft, extortion and attacks on infrastructure. Botnets are also regularly used for sending out spam and phishing.
Economic losses from Internet fraud have reached an all-time high. According to Internet Crime Complaint Center data released in April, nearly $240 million of individual losses from Internet fraud were reported to the FBI in 2007, a 20-percent increase since 2006.
Vaughn's primary research areas are in demographics and awareness. He teaches business telecommunications, cyber security technology, and cyber warfare courses in the Hankamer School of Business.