Feasibility Study of Social Network Analysis on Loosely Structured Communication Networks

Organised criminal groups are moving more of their activities from traditionally physical crime into the cyber domain; where they form online communities that are used as marketplaces for illegal materials, products and services. The trading of illicit goods drives an underground economy by providin...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Procedia computer science Vol. 108; pp. 2388 - 2392
Main Authors: Johnsen, Jan William, Franke, Katrin
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier B.V 2017
Subjects:
Centrality measures
Criminal networks
Digital forensics
Social network analysis
Social network analysis
Digital forensics
Centrality measures
Criminal networks
ISSN:1877-0509, 1877-0509
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Abstract Organised criminal groups are moving more of their activities from traditionally physical crime into the cyber domain; where they form online communities that are used as marketplaces for illegal materials, products and services. The trading of illicit goods drives an underground economy by providing services that facilitate almost any type of cyber crime. The challenge for law enforcement agencies is to know which individuals to focus their efforts on, in order to effectively disrupting the services provided by cyber criminals. This paper present our study to assess graph-based centrality measures’ performance for identifying important individuals within a criminal network. These measures has previously been used on small and structured general social networks. In this study, we are testing the measures on a new dataset that is larger, loosely structured and resembles a network within cyber criminal forums. Our result shows that well established measures have weaknesses when applied to this challenging dataset.
AbstractList Organised criminal groups are moving more of their activities from traditionally physical crime into the cyber domain; where they form online communities that are used as marketplaces for illegal materials, products and services. The trading of illicit goods drives an underground economy by providing services that facilitate almost any type of cyber crime. The challenge for law enforcement agencies is to know which individuals to focus their efforts on, in order to effectively disrupting the services provided by cyber criminals. This paper present our study to assess graph-based centrality measures’ performance for identifying important individuals within a criminal network. These measures has previously been used on small and structured general social networks. In this study, we are testing the measures on a new dataset that is larger, loosely structured and resembles a network within cyber criminal forums. Our result shows that well established measures have weaknesses when applied to this challenging dataset.
Author Franke, Katrin
Johnsen, Jan William
Author_xml – sequence: 1
  givenname: Jan William
  surname: Johnsen
  fullname: Johnsen, Jan William
  email: jan.w.johnsen@ieee.org
– sequence: 2
  givenname: Katrin
  surname: Franke
  fullname: Franke, Katrin
  email: kyfranke@ieee.org
BookMark eNqFkL1OwzAURi1UJAr0CVj8Agl2HMfxwFBVFJAqGAoDk-U4N5JLGle2A8rbk_4MiAHucu_wnSt95xJNOtcBQjeUpJTQ4naT7rwzIc0IFSnhKRXZGZrSUoiEcCInP-4LNAthQ8ZhZSmpmKL3JehgK9vaOOB17OsBuwavnbG6xc8Qv5z_wPNOt0OwAbsOr5wL0O6zvjex91Djhdtu-84aHe0YOEHhGp03ug0wO-0r9La8f108JquXh6fFfJUYJouYaMNERWXe5HXNSAGlrvOqzJmAvOK0KanUWWZklUPOCsK4LLJGCplVrOC8AM6uEDv-Nd6F4KFRO2-32g-KErUXpDbqIEjtBSnC1ShopOQvyth4KBC9tu0_7N2RhbHWpwWvgrHQGaitBxNV7eyf_DdHgIYL
CitedBy_id crossref_primary_10_1088_1742_6596_978_1_012033
Cites_doi 10.1080/10691898.2015.11889734
10.1016/0378-8733(91)90008-H
10.1007/s12117-008-9038-9
ContentType Journal Article
Copyright 2017 The Author(s)
Copyright_xml – notice: 2017 The Author(s)
DBID 6I.
AAFTH
AAYXX
CITATION
DOI 10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172
DatabaseName ScienceDirect Open Access Titles
Elsevier:ScienceDirect:Open Access
CrossRef
DatabaseTitle CrossRef
DatabaseTitleList
DeliveryMethod fulltext_linktorsrc
Discipline Computer Science
EISSN 1877-0509
EndPage 2392
ExternalDocumentID 10_1016_j_procs_2017_05_172
S1877050917307561
GroupedDBID --K
0R~
0SF
1B1
457
5VS
6I.
71M
AACTN
AAEDT
AAEDW
AAFTH
AAIKJ
AALRI
AAQFI
AAXUO
ABMAC
ACGFS
ADBBV
ADEZE
AEXQZ
AFTJW
AGHFR
AITUG
ALMA_UNASSIGNED_HOLDINGS
AMRAJ
E3Z
EBS
EJD
EP3
FDB
FNPLU
HZ~
IXB
KQ8
M41
M~E
NCXOZ
O-L
O9-
OK1
P2P
RIG
ROL
SES
SSZ
9DU
AAYWO
AAYXX
ABWVN
ACRPL
ACVFH
ADCNI
ADNMO
ADVLN
AEUPX
AFPUW
AIGII
AKBMS
AKRWK
AKYEP
CITATION
~HD
ID FETCH-LOGICAL-c396t-ac37b194f4dd306e8ad4b8437e4b51f819a22c9b4e436035962f9792b36556e53
ISICitedReferencesCount 3
ISICitedReferencesURI http://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=Summon&SrcAuth=ProQuest&DestLinkType=CitingArticles&DestApp=WOS_CPL&KeyUT=000404959000257&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcvtisr.summon.serialssolutions.com%2F%23%21%2Fsearch%3Fho%3Df%26include.ft.matches%3Dt%26l%3Dnull%26q%3D
ISSN 1877-0509
IngestDate Sat Nov 29 04:09:41 EST 2025
Tue Nov 18 21:44:07 EST 2025
Wed May 17 00:58:04 EDT 2023
IsDoiOpenAccess true
IsOpenAccess true
IsPeerReviewed true
IsScholarly true
Keywords Social network analysis
Digital forensics
Centrality measures
Criminal networks
Language English
License This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
LinkModel OpenURL
MergedId FETCHMERGED-LOGICAL-c396t-ac37b194f4dd306e8ad4b8437e4b51f819a22c9b4e436035962f9792b36556e53
OpenAccessLink https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172
PageCount 5
ParticipantIDs crossref_primary_10_1016_j_procs_2017_05_172
crossref_citationtrail_10_1016_j_procs_2017_05_172
elsevier_sciencedirect_doi_10_1016_j_procs_2017_05_172
PublicationCentury 2000
PublicationDate 2017
2017-00-00
PublicationDateYYYYMMDD 2017-01-01
PublicationDate_xml – year: 2017
  text: 2017
PublicationDecade 2010
PublicationTitle Procedia computer science
PublicationYear 2017
Publisher Elsevier B.V
Publisher_xml – name: Elsevier B.V
References Europol. The internet organised crime threat assessment (iocta).
September 2014. Online; accessed December 9, 2016.
July 2015. Online; accessed December 9, 2016.
Prell (bib0008) 2011
National Crime Agency. Cyber crime assessment 2016.
J. Diesner and K. M. Carley. Exploration of Communication Networks from the Enron Email Corpus. Proceedings of Workshop on Link Analysis, Counterterrorism and Security, SIAM International Conference on Data Mining 2005, pages 3–14, 2005.
Reece Howard. Using social network analysis measures.
Choo (bib0001) 2008; 11
J. Hardin, G. Sarkis, and P.C. Urc. Network analysis with the enron email corpus. 10 2014.
Sparrow (bib0009) 1991; 13
July 2016. Online; accessed December 9, 2016.
Valdis (bib0006) 2002; 7
Valdis (10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0006) 2002; 7
Sparrow (10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0009) 1991; 13
Choo (10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0001) 2008; 11
10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0003
10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0002
10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0007
Prell (10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0008) 2011
10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0005
10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0004
References_xml – reference: Reece Howard. Using social network analysis measures.
– volume: 7
  year: 2002
  ident: bib0006
  article-title: Uncloaking terrorist networks
  publication-title: First Monday
– reference: , July 2015. Online; accessed December 9, 2016.
– year: 2011
  ident: bib0008
  publication-title: Social Network Analysis: History, Theory and Methodology
– reference: , September 2014. Online; accessed December 9, 2016.
– reference: J. Diesner and K. M. Carley. Exploration of Communication Networks from the Enron Email Corpus. Proceedings of Workshop on Link Analysis, Counterterrorism and Security, SIAM International Conference on Data Mining 2005, pages 3–14, 2005.
– reference: National Crime Agency. Cyber crime assessment 2016.
– volume: 13
  start-page: 251
  year: 1991
  end-page: 274
  ident: bib0009
  article-title: The application of network analysis to criminal intelligence: An assessment of the prospects
  publication-title: Social Networks
– reference: J. Hardin, G. Sarkis, and P.C. Urc. Network analysis with the enron email corpus. 10 2014.
– reference: , July 2016. Online; accessed December 9, 2016.
– volume: 11
  start-page: 270
  year: 2008
  end-page: 295
  ident: bib0001
  article-title: Organised crime groups in cyberspace: a typology
  publication-title: Trends in Organized Crime
– reference: Europol. The internet organised crime threat assessment (iocta).
– ident: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0004
  doi: 10.1080/10691898.2015.11889734
– year: 2011
  ident: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0008
– ident: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0002
– ident: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0005
– volume: 13
  start-page: 251
  issue: 3
  year: 1991
  ident: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0009
  article-title: The application of network analysis to criminal intelligence: An assessment of the prospects
  publication-title: Social Networks
  doi: 10.1016/0378-8733(91)90008-H
– ident: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0003
– ident: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0007
– volume: 11
  start-page: 270
  issue: 3
  year: 2008
  ident: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0001
  article-title: Organised crime groups in cyberspace: a typology
  publication-title: Trends in Organized Crime
  doi: 10.1007/s12117-008-9038-9
– volume: 7
  issue: 4
  year: 2002
  ident: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172_bib0006
  article-title: Uncloaking terrorist networks
  publication-title: First Monday
SSID ssj0000388917
Score 2.076302
Snippet Organised criminal groups are moving more of their activities from traditionally physical crime into the cyber domain; where they form online communities that...
SourceID crossref
elsevier
SourceType Enrichment Source
Index Database
Publisher
StartPage 2388
SubjectTerms Centrality measures
Criminal networks
Digital forensics
Social network analysis
Title Feasibility Study of Social Network Analysis on Loosely Structured Communication Networks
URI https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.172
Volume 108
WOSCitedRecordID wos000404959000257&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcvtisr.summon.serialssolutions.com%2F%23%21%2Fsearch%3Fho%3Df%26include.ft.matches%3Dt%26l%3Dnull%26q%3D
hasFullText 1
inHoldings 1
isFullTextHit
isPrint
journalDatabaseRights – providerCode: PRVHPJ
  databaseName: ROAD: Directory of Open Access Scholarly Resources
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 1877-0509
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0000388917
  issn: 1877-0509
  databaseCode: M~E
  dateStart: 20100101
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: https://road.issn.org
  providerName: ISSN International Centre
link http://cvtisr.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwtV1Nb9QwFLSgcOBSCgVRoMiH3miktZ3Y8REhEEJoxaGVyimyvbZEVWWrplTtpb-97_kjzdJqRQ9coqwVO5u8WfvZO54hZM8yg7CRlTDOV7VvfaWb0FTWMu2Y1W0wUV3_h5rP26Mj_TP_FTNEOwHV9-3lpT79r6GGMgg2bp19QLjHRqEAziHocISww_GfAg9JXaa8XkWW4FXZlwLBmCfS90SKBE17l4M_wWtRSfYP8tFXdo2USsM0j437CwBakZKOrhAf81A6ZeTkxZ3vpi_iDyNa0CreZzbHWRb_zmsPaZNl7ihbpSrUjknjyD1lpXedtdP-USQTvzzWcpGM8O7042lJ4RhHEYei6izqq7Lk8rOqmv3XaDZyDAt97biLjXTYSDdrOmjkMXnCFcykkOl5fbskh8I4Ono0j09SdKoiI_DOl7k_l5nkJwdbZDNPLOinBIgX5JHvX5LnxbSD5j58m_ya4INGfNBloAkfNIeaFnzQZU8zPugtPugKPkql4RU5_Prl4PO3KvtrVE5oeV4ZJxT8JOtQLxYwc_StWdS2rYXytW1YgFzRcO60rX0tJEo9Sh600twK2TTSN-I12eiXvX9DKCR5MkDq7eXCQYLNTSO49mpmAwvMML9DeHlTncvi8-iBctKtCdMO2R8rnSbtlfWXyxKCLmM-pYUdoGpdxbcPu8878gw_pXW492QD3r7fJU_dxfnv4exDhNQNUkWUwA
linkProvider ISSN International Centre
openUrl ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fsummon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Feasibility+Study+of+Social+Network+Analysis+on+Loosely+Structured+Communication+Networks&rft.jtitle=Procedia+computer+science&rft.au=Johnsen%2C+Jan+William&rft.au=Franke%2C+Katrin&rft.date=2017&rft.issn=1877-0509&rft.eissn=1877-0509&rft.volume=108&rft.spage=2388&rft.epage=2392&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016%2Fj.procs.2017.05.172&rft.externalDBID=n%2Fa&rft.externalDocID=10_1016_j_procs_2017_05_172
thumbnail_l http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/lc.gif&issn=1877-0509&client=summon
thumbnail_m http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/mc.gif&issn=1877-0509&client=summon
thumbnail_s http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/sc.gif&issn=1877-0509&client=summon