Understanding the Technology Behind Online Offending: A Guide for Professionals in the Criminal Justice System

Understanding the Technology Behind Online Offending: A Guide for Professionals in the Criminal Justice System is a non-technical explanation of online offences by a cybersecurity expert, bridging the gap between the high-tech world of cybercrime and the non-technical professionals working within it.

The book begins by equipping the reader with a foundational understanding of how the internet works before exploring the various ways that people can exploit the Internet to commit crimes. The reader is then introduced to some of the sophisticated ways that individuals may evade detection before we explore the organisations fighting to prevent and capture those offending online. The book includes a contributory chapter from solicitors at Stone King LLP to help the reader understand how the law is evolving to prosecute offenders. There is a further contributory chapter from psychologist Dr Ruth J Tully who discusses psychological risk assessment with those who offend online. The book concludes with important chapters looking at how professionals can keep themselves safe online, and future directions of the internet.

The book's intended audience includes all professionals who work with those who commit online offences, such as psychologists, solicitors, social workers, probation officers and police officers. The book is also suitable for those in training or graduate education.

Christopher Wise has been working within the IT industry for 20 years, for the last 8 years specifically within cybersecurity for organisations in the UK as well as abroad. He has provided consultancy services for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), Homeland Security (UK), and the Ministry of Defence. Christopher has given talks about online offending to professionals in criminal justice system at key conferences, including for the British Psychological Society Forensic Psychology Division. Christopher has a passion for security, privacy and helping non-technical professionals understand his area of expertise.

Jennifer Bamford is a Chartered and Registered Forensic Psychologist with 15 years’ experience working in the criminal justice system in the UK. She has worked with many internet offenders from the point of investigation to post sentence risk assessments and has been involved as an expert witness in criminal and family law proceedings where online offending has been a central issue for the court. Dr Bamford has published previously on various topics in forensic psychology, with a specialism in sexual offending.