Table of Contents
- Explore CINA's Research Portfolio
- Open Source Intelligence in Online Stolen Data Markets: Assessment of Network Disruption Strategies
- Innovative Spatiotemporal Pattern Detection: Examining Changes in Crime Hot Spots Across 6 U.S. Cities
- Evaluate Current National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI) Course Offerings and Develop Recommendations for Prerequisites and Post Curriculum Evaluation
- Detecting Criminal Disruption of Supply Chains
- The CINA Team
- CINA Science Committee
- Research Partners
Also in this report:
Explore CINA's Research Portfolio
The CINA Center pursues a comprehensive set of programs and activities that are designed to equip practitioners, end users, decision makers, and U.S. policy makers in the homeland security enterprise with state-of-the-art knowledge, expertise, methods, tools, and technologies to help combat the growing threat of transnational crime.
Today, transnational criminal networks can easily appear, disappear, and reorganize in response to operational opportunities and authority gaps.
While advances in information and communication technologies have benefited education, healthcare, and other crucial areas of society, transnational criminal operations have also taken advantage of technology to evolve, become more agile, and expand their scope.
Open Source Intelligence in Online Stolen Data Markets: Assessment of Network Disruption Strategies
A key challenge for law enforcement is to effectively respond to and disrupt emerging illicit markets in underground environments like the Dark Web. Researchers at Georgia State University developed tools to study these markets and determine how market actors emerge and operate, leading to the development and assessment of possible disruption and intervention strategies.
Innovative Spatiotemporal Pattern Detection: Examining Changes in Crime Hot Spots Across 6 U.S. Cities
Researchers at the University of Texas San Antonio and the University of Washington used data from six unique urban landscapes to explore spatiotemporal crime patterns. Specifically, they examined the relationship between two mechanisms for place-based improvements – public regulation in the form of municipal code enforcement and private investment in the form of building permits – and changes in crime at street segments over time. The researchers found that non-criminal justice policies, such as incentivizing targeted private investment and prioritizing code enforcement at crime hot spots, might be strategically implemented to enhance public safety.
Evaluate Current National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI) Course Offerings and Develop Recommendations for Prerequisites and Post Curriculum Evaluation
The National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI) trains law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges in cybercrime investigations. This project is developing a pre- and post-training assessment system for NCFI to ensure that trainees are properly prepared to enter the program, and that they are exiting the program with the necessary skills to effectively investigate cybercrimes. The project includes development of an NCFI cyber-range to provide hands-on training in a safe yet realistic environment.
Detecting Criminal Disruption of Supply Chains
This joint CCICADA-CINA project, led by experts from Rutgers University and GMU, is developing methods and tools to detect active, pending, or past criminal manipulation or disruption of supply chains. The project is modeling specific supply chains and criminal organizations, then merging those models in a simulation to identify likely attack points, develop indicators that can serve to provide alerts about a pending, active, or past attack, and to suggest mitigations for the identified vulnerabilities and to reduce attack impacts.
The CINA Team
The Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis (CINA) Center is part of the prestigious network of DHS Centers of Excellence funded by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s Office of University Programs. Our staff brings together leading experts and researchers to pursue multidisciplinary approaches to address the disruption of criminal activities across the physical and cyber spaces.
CINA Science Committee
Research Partners
Multi-disciplinary research teams from across the country partner with CINA to expand our research expertise and portfolio of services. These trusted and valued collaborators possess a shared focus on our collective mission.
To schedule a CINA capabilities briefing, project demo, or to obtain more information about CINA-sponsored events contact us at cina@gmu.edu
Carnegie Mellon University, PA
Eastern New Mexico University, NM
Florida International University, FL
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Trinity Washington University, DC
University of California-Irvine, CA
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