Exploring Cybercrime Disruption through Laboratory Experiments

This position paper proposes a previously neglected method for investigating cybercrime disruption: laboratory experiments. As a case study for the exploration of this method, it examines slander and Sybil operations against cybercriminal marketplaces. While there has been some scholarly discussion of these interventions, carrying out empirical work on the effectiveness of these tactics is challenging. This position paper reports on a feasibility pilot study, and the results should be viewed as suggestive, rather than conclusive. The paper’s core value is in providing proof of concept for employing this methodology within cybercrime research, and offering insights for future studies of these, or other, disruption tactics.