This book is an introduction to the field of cyber safety. Its aims to present an overview of current knowledge in that area. Several experts have contributed to the book. The concept of cyber safety refers to safety in cyber space. Cyber safety is thus wider than the commonly used concept 'cybercrime'.
Cyber Safety: an introduction is divided into four parts. Part 1 covers the introductory concepts, looking at cyber safety from different perspectives (juridical, technological, sociological & criminological). In Part 2, various types of cybercrime are described individually, addressing issues such as definition, nature, scale and offender characteristics. The cybercrimes reviewed include hacking, e-fraud, child pornography, unauthorised file sharing and cyber warfare. Further more, criminal techniques like botnets, social engineering and phishing will be addressed. Part 3 deals especially with youth and cyber safety. Specific themes are: online sexual solicitations, sexually explicit internet material, cyber bullying and the perils and pleasures of playing video games. Part 4 is about organisations that play a part in safeguarding the internet. It addresses the role of the police, commercial organisations such as Internet Service Providers, and information security.
Cyber Safety: an introduction is targeted at university students reading for a bachelor or master's degree (for example, in Safety and Security, or Police Sciences) and at professionals who encounter the negative effects of digitization in their working environment (for example, police officers and the courts, who will increasingly have to deal with digital elements in traditional cases, as well as youth workers wishing to know more about the world in which young people actually live).
Rutger Leukfeldt is researcher at the cyber safety research group of NHL University of Applied Sciences and the Dutch Police Academy and is PhD candidate in organised cybercrime at the Open University of the Netherlands.
Wouter Stol is Professor of Police Studies at the Open University of the Netherlands, and chairholder for cyber safety at NHL University of Applied Sciences and the Dutch Police Academy
