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Roberto Musotto

Research Fellow in Cyber Security and Law, Edith Cowan University
I am an Italian-qualified lawyer (Avvocato) with expertise in serious crimes commercial and cyber aspects. I use theory and methods from network science and law & economics in my research.

I hold a PhD in Economics from Università degli Studi di Messina 2017 and a Laurea Magistrale in Giurisprudenza (LLB+LLM) from Università degli Studi di Palermo 2007-2012.

Some areas of law & economics I investigate include:

- Contractual mechanisms and corporate structures exploited by criminal organisations in legal and illegal markets
- Transnational forms of organised crime and terrorist networks in a changing socio-legal context
- Social and spatial network analysis techniques applied on criminal groups
- Linking organised crime to cybercrime, specifically on Booter Services (Stressers), Ransomwares and Crypto-currencies

Until August 2019, I conducted my research under the 3.5 million Euro Horizon 2020 TAKEDOWN project at the University of Leeds, UK. More information about the project itself and results are on the website: https://www.takedownproject.eu

I published my works in acclaimed peer-reviewed academic journals, details of which can be found on my Google Scholar page: https://goo.gl/8UAnzP

How does the Pegasus spyware work, and is my phone at risk?

Jul 24, 2021 06:56 am UTC| Technology

A major journalistic investigation has found evidence of malicious software being used by governments around the world, including allegations of spying on prominent individuals. From a list of more 50,000 phone numbers,...

Is your super money safe? Here's how you can dodge cyber fraud

Jun 03, 2020 14:55 pm UTC| Investing

Alongside growing concerns over a possible resurgence of the coronavirus during winter, the pandemic is now creating even more victims as cybercriminals aim to capitalise on the economic upheaval. According to news...

Ransomware attack on sheep farmers shows there's no room for woolly thinking in cyber security

Mar 06, 2020 03:46 am UTC| Technology

While many Australians were preoccupied with panic-buying toilet paper, sales of another commodity encountered a very different sort of crisis. Wool sales were severely disrupted last week by a ransomware attack on IT...

Hackers are now targeting councils and governments, threatening to leak citizen data

Nov 11, 2019 09:19 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

In recent weeks, Johannesburgs computer network was held for ransom by a hacker group called Shadow Kill Hackers. This was the second time in three months a ransomware attack has hit South Africas largest city. This time,...

Economy

Fed’s Logan Signals 50 Basis Points More in Rate Hikes

Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan said Thursday that U.S. interest rates may need to rise by at least another 50 basis points as inflation remains above the Federal Reserves 2% target, although surging Treasury...

Asian Stocks Fall as US Jobs Data and Oil Risks Rattle Markets

Asian stocks declined on Friday as investors braced for crucial U.S. jobs data while volatility in global bond and currency markets and rising Middle East tensions kept risk appetite subdued. MSCIs broadest index of...

Yen Strengthens on Tokyo Inflation as Dollar Awaits US Jobs Data

The Japanese yen strengthened on Friday after hotter-than-expected Tokyo inflation data increased expectations for further Bank of Japan interest rate hikes, while the U.S. dollar paused ahead of the closely watched...

Gold Prices Steady as Markets Await U.S. Jobs Data

Gold prices were largely unchanged on Friday as investors awaited key U.S. employment data for fresh signals on the Federal Reserves interest-rate outlook, while a strong dollar and elevated Treasury yields kept pressure...

Tokyo Inflation Jumps to 2.7%, Boosting BOJ Rate Hike Expectations

Tokyo consumer inflation accelerated sharply in September, with core prices rising more than economists expected and strengthening expectations that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) could continue raising interest rates as...

Politics

US Waives Egypt Military Aid Conditions Over Iran War Role

The United States has waived human rights conditions tied to $320 million in military aid for Egypt, citing Cairos security cooperation and its role following the start of the US-led war against Iran. Secretary of State...

Tsai Ing-wen to Visit US for Stanford Security Conference

Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will travel to the United States next week to speak at a Stanford University technology and national security conference, marking her first U.S. visit since leaving office in 2024. Tsai...

South Korea Warns Ukraine Over North Korean POW Dispute

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned Friday that Seoul could take additional measures against Ukraine unless Kyiv acknowledges an alleged confidentiality agreement involving two North Korean prisoners of war and...

Iran Plans Stronger Response if US Attacks Resume

Iran is preparing for a broader military response if the United States resumes large-scale attacks, even as Tehran keeps diplomatic channels open in an effort to prevent another major escalation. Senior Iranian commanders...

Brazil Presidential Debate Canceled as Lula, Bolsonaro Skip Event

Brazils final major presidential debate was canceled on Thursday after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the two leading candidates in the polls, decided not to participate just days before...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

SoftBank Shares Fall After $10 Billion OpenAI Investment

SoftBank Group shares dropped sharply on Friday after the Japanese technology conglomerate completed the final portion of its latest OpenAI investment, lifting its total investment in the artificial intelligence company to...

Amazon Eyes $8 Billion Nvidia Chip Spinoff to Fund AI Expansion

Amazon is exploring a plan to transfer roughly $8 billion worth of advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chips to outside investors as the technology giant looks for new ways to finance its rapidly expanding AI...

California AG Subpoenas OpenAI Over AI Cybersecurity Incidents

California Attorney General Rob Bonta served OpenAI with an investigative subpoena Wednesday, escalating a state investigation into cybersecurity incidents involving the artificial intelligence company and its models. The...

WordPress Malware Uses Ethereum to Evade Removal

Security researchers have uncovered a persistent WordPress malware strain that uses Ethereum infrastructure for command-and-control communications, making infected websites unusually difficult to clean. According to...

DogeOS Launches Testnet to Bring DeFi Apps to Dogecoin

DogeOS has launched a public testnet designed to bring Ethereum-style decentralized finance applications to Dogecoin, potentially expanding DOGEs utility beyond payments and price speculation. The Ethereum-compatible...