Cybercrime shopping list study points to falling prices

Interesting study of the going price for stolen computer and other details on criminal forums suggests that there's a glut of information and that the price is therefore going down.

Police target Salford 'untouchables' in dawn raids following investigation into drugs and guns

Normally, we look at Liverpool here, but Manchester is equally interesting. This article seems to hint at a rudimentary capo di tutti capi in Salford...

That $2.5 Million Classic Jaguar for Sale May Be a Fake

Only 33 ever built, but 100 on sale...

Ransomware creation kit 'sought by cyber-thieves'

Cybercrime marches on. Customisable off the shelf software being created for blackmailers and others without computer skills, but good ideas on how to make money.

Local take on origins of Boko Haram

Editor of Nigerian newspaper the Sunday Trust provides an account of the present situation regarding Boko Haram

SGOC panels at the ECPR General Conference, Glasgow 2014

Call for Panels and papers
ECPR General Conference
Standing Group on Organised Crime Section
3-6 September 2014
Glasgow, United Kingdom

Understanding and Tackling the Roots of Insecurity:
Terrorism, Transnational Organised Crime and Corruption

The Standing Group on Organised Crime (SGOC)’s section is organising a section at the ECPR General Conference in Glasgow in 2014 and would like to welcome panels/individual papers’ proposals on topics related (but not limited to) to the following topics:

1. Critical Reflections on the Concepts of Terrorism, Organised Crime and Corruption

2. Policy-Making Responses to Terrorism, Organised Crime and Corruption

3. The Nexus between Terrorism and Organised Crime

4. Violent Extremism and Radicalization

5. Law Enforcement Responses to Terrorism, Organised Crime and Corruption

6. Emerging Forms and Manifestations of Organised Crime

7. Contemporary Border Security Challenges

8. Non-State Responses to Terrorism, Organised Crime and Corruption

A selection of best papers presented at the SGOC section in Glasgow could be published in a Special Issue of The European Review of Organised Crime (EROC). For more information about the journal, please visit SGOC webpage.

Contact and submission details:
The deadline for full panels and individual papers is 15 February 2014. All submissions should be made online through the MyECPR part of the ECPR website. Should you have questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact Yuliya G. Zabyelina, University of Edinburgh (yuliya.zabyelina@gmail.com) or Helena Farrand Carrapico, University of Dundee (Helena.carrapico@eui.eu).

UK’s flawed counter-terrorism strategy

Same criticisms could be made of organised crime strategies too. Politicians ignore the academics who have done the research and surround themselves with groupuscules who reinforce their own prejudices. "Evidence-based policy?" "I know best, thank you!"