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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

Bessent Urges G7 to Strengthen Iran Sanctions Amid U.S.-China Talks

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Monday that he plans to encourage G7 finance ministers to strengthen and maintain a coordinated sanctions regime aimed at cutting off funding tied to Irans military...

ECB’s Nagel Says Central Banks Can Do More to Support Markets Amid Inflation Concerns

Joachim Nagel, head of Germanys central bank, said on Monday that global central banks still have significant tools available to stabilize financial markets and restore investor confidence. Speaking ahead of a Group of...

Dollar Holds Strong as Iran Conflict and China Slowdown Shake Global Markets

The U.S. dollar eased slightly on Monday after posting strong gains last week, as investors continued to react to rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and concerns over inflation. Despite the minor decline, the...

Global Companies Face $25 Billion Blow From U.S.-Israel Iran Conflict

The ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran has already inflicted more than $25 billion in losses on companies worldwide, with costs expected to rise further as energy prices surge and supply chains remain disrupted. A...

Thailand Economy Grows 2.8% in Q1 2026, Beating Market Expectations

Thailands economy recorded stronger-than-expected growth in the first quarter of 2026, supported by higher government spending, rising investment, and solid export performance. Official data released Monday by the National...

Politics

Rick Fox Appointed to Bahamian Senate After Election Loss

Former NBA champion Rick Fox has officially joined the Bahamian Senate after being appointed by the opposition Free National Movement (FNM). The announcement came shortly after Fox failed in his campaign to secure a seat...

Trump-Backed “Rededicate 250” Event Sparks Debate Over Religion and Politics in America

A major faith-based event supported by the Trump administration drew thousands of attendees on Sunday, celebrating Americas religious heritage while also triggering criticism over church-state separation and lack of...

Samsung Faces Major Strike Threat as Union Restarts Pay Talks

Samsung Electronics and its South Korean labor union resumed government-mediated wage negotiations on Monday in an effort to prevent a large-scale strike that could disrupt the global semiconductor supply chain. The...

G7 Finance Ministers Meet in Paris Amid Global Trade and Economic Tensions

Finance ministers from the G7 nations gathered in Paris on Monday to address rising global economic tensions, supply chain risks, and critical mineral dependence as geopolitical divisions continue to challenge the groups...

Cuba Denies U.S. Drone Threat Claims Amid Rising Tensions

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has rejected accusations that Cuba is preparing military aggression against the United States, calling the allegations a fraudulent case designed to justify tougher economic sanctions...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Anthropic to Brief Financial Stability Board on AI-Driven Cyber Risks

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is preparing to discuss potential cyber vulnerabilities in the global financial system linked to its latest AI model, Mythos, with members of the Financial Stability Board (FSB),...

TSMC Stake Sale Sends Vanguard Semiconductor Shares Lower

Shares of Vanguard International Semiconductor (TWO:5347) dropped sharply on Monday after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced plans to reduce its ownership stake in the chipmaker. Vanguard shares...

CXMT Forecasts Record Revenue Growth as Global DRAM Prices Surge

Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT), Chinas leading memory chip manufacturer, expects first-half revenue to climb between 110 billion yuan and 120 billion yuan ($17.62 billion), according to its updated IPO prospectus. The...

China vs U.S. AI Race Shifts Toward Robotics and Manufacturing Power in 2026

The global competition for artificial intelligence dominance is no longer driven solely by computing power and advanced chips. A new Alpine Macro report released on May 12, 2026, argues that industrial scale, manufacturing...

Samsung Union Talks Enter Final Stage as Strike Threat Looms

Samsung Electronics and its largest labor union are set to resume critical wage negotiations on Monday as both sides race to prevent a major strike that could disrupt South Koreas economy and global semiconductor supply...