The Sharing Economy for Tackling Cybercrime (eBook)

This book explains Europol's online sharing platforms efforts in three major cybercrime areas: ransomware, money laundering with cryptocurrencies, and online child sexual exploitation that Europol has already pushed private and public actors to cooperate.

Since the global financial crisis, online sharing economy platforms have made a significant impact on use of under-utilized resources. People who have a car (Uber) or a spare room (Airbnb) began to share their under-used assets with others for extra income. The success achieved by these online platforms that enable efficient use of limited resources raised a new discussion on whether a similar governance model can be implemented by public administrations where public resources are insufficient. Cybercrime is one of these fields where most law enforcement agencies have not got enough resources to tackle these crimes. They need the human and technical resources of the private sector for a safer society. This book, for the first time, seeks the answers to this question. It examines the feasibility of online sharing economy platforms to enhance public-private partnerships to tackle cybercrime. The European Union Policing Agency, Europol, is the first police organization to adopt a similar model to interact with policing agencies and private industry.

Drawing on extensive research, the book offers crucial insights for policymakers, researchers, and the public interested in new trends in sharing economy, innovative governance models, public-private partnerships, and cybercrime investigations.

Dr Ethem Ilbiz is Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow at the University of South Wales (USW) in International Centre for Policing and Security. This book is a research output of his current research project entitled 'The Uberization of Europol's Cybercrime Strategy' (TUECS) which is funded by European Commission under the Horizon 2020 grant scheme (grant number 886141). The project is mentored by Prof Christian Kaunert. Dr Ilbiz, as Research Fellow at the USW, leads teaching modules such as 'Governing and Securing Cyberspace', 'Hybrid Warfare', and he is Co-leader of 'Terrorism and Counter-terrorism' module. Apart from his academic career, Dr Ilbiz has worked for the Turkish National Police for fifteen years. During these years, he had the chance to work in different police units including counterterrorism, logistics, forensics, and crime analysis. He also worked as International Police Officer in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo. Dr Ilbiz has recently published a research monograph with Prof Kaunert entitled 'EU, Turkey, Counter-terrorism: Fighting the PKK and ISIS'. He also has good track record of publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals.

Prof. Dr. Christian Kaunert is Professor of International Security in the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Ireland. He is also Professor of Policing and Security, as well as Director of the International Centre for Policing and Security at the University of South Wales. Previously, he served as Academic Director and Professor at the Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Professor of International Politics, Head of Discipline in Politics, and Director of the European Institute for Security and Justice, a Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence, at the University of Dundee. Prof Kaunert has researched and taught in many international universities, such as University of Shandong, Jinan, China, IBEI Barcelona, Spain, Diplomatic Academy Yerevan, Armenia - United Nations Development Mission, University of Cairo, Egypt, Collegio Carlo Alberto, Turin, Italy, Ecole nationale d'administration Paris, European Institute of Public Administration Maastricht, Netherlands, European Studies Institute (ESI) at Moscow, University of Porto, Portugal, etc. He was previously Senior Lecturer at the University of Dundee, Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow at the European University Institute Florence, and Senior Lecturer in EU Politics & International Relations, University of Salford. Christian has been invited expert for the European Institute for Public Administration (EIPA), the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the European Parliament, the European Union Institute for Security Studies (an agency of the EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Over his career, he has been awarded seven prestigious Marie Curie Fellowships, four Jean Monnet Chairs, and, finally, three Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, as well as one Jean Monnet Network of Excellence (EUCTER). Additionally, he was awarded a large Horizon 2020 research grant on Terrorist Radicalization processes - Mindb4Act. He is currently Editor of the Journal of Contemporary European Studies, was also previously Elected Member of the national (UK) Executive Committee of the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES), and co-founded and co-led the special interest section on the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice of the European Union Studies Association (EUSA). He has also previously been Editor of the Journal of Contemporary European Research (JCER), on the Executive Committee member of the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES), and Expert for the European Parliament. He is also on the editorial board of the journal European Politics and Society (EPS) and the Journal of European Integration (JEI). Prof. Kaunert holds a Ph.D. in International Politics and an M.Sc. in European Politics from the University of Wales Aberystwyth, a B.A. (Hons) European Business from Dublin City University, ESB Reutlingen, and a B.A. (Hons) Open University.