A stealthy, disguised intruder is watching you from the shadows, monitoring your movements, and waiting patiently for the perfect moment to act. Bypassing all reinforcements and security measures, the surreptitious invader is free to roam, gaining access to all manner of classified, restricted, and confidential materials and items of value.

Although this sounds like the stuff of Ninja movies, it is in fact, exactly how hackers and cyber-criminals are operating; invading our computers and gaining access to our sensitive information, and crucially, cash. Moreover, governments and the private sector are losing billions of dollars each year, fighting an ever-morphing, often invisible, often super-smart new breed of cyber-criminal.

Criminal activity of this nature is taking place all over the world, and it could be happening right under your nose, according to British journalist and organised crime expert, Misha Glenny. Cyber crime is on the rise, and more of us have been victims to it than are aware.

In this insightful talk, journalist and author Misha Glenny addresses the main points of his book, DarkMarket: Cyberthieves, Cybercops, and You, discussing some of the huge-scale crimes committed over the internet, some of the common features of the cyber criminal, and the very real dangers and costs it poses to us as a society.

Misha Glenny is a British journalist, author, and ex-BBC correspondent who specialises in Southeastern Europe and global organised crime.

Related Links:
DarkMarket

A Festival of Ideas event in partnership with Watershed.

Posted on Wed 2 Nov 2011.

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