MARCS Afternoon Colloquium (MAC): Professor Alana Maurushat

MARCS Afternoon Colloquium (MAC) (Room 3.G.55 - Building 3)

Professor Alana Maurushat - Western Sydney University

Topic: AI enabled Cybercrime

Speaker:  Professor Alana Maurushat

Abstract: This presentation will discuss current cybersecurity threats faced by organisations by taking a deeper look behind scenes looking at the individual criminals, organized criminal syndicates and the underworld where they operate such as on Dark Net Forums.  I will explain how cybersecurity threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated by looking at artificial intelligence enabled cyber fraud. Artificial Intelligence Enabled Cyber Crime encompasses a wide range of traditional online fraud using new tools to automate aspects of the process. This talk focuses on two primary online frauds: payment diversion and ransomware. We will go through each type of fraud first explaining the concept, provide a case study, then address threat vectors – commons ways in which the fraud is committed from financial data to accounting practices, to network intrusion to social engineering aspects. Automated AI aspects are explored within the threat vectors.  The case studies are based on real cyber frauds, but the names, personal information and case specific details have been generalised to protect the identity of the parties involved.  Time permitting, there will also be some analysis on emerging AI enabled malware.

Biography:  

Dr. Alana Maurushat, is Professor of Cybersecurity and Behaviour at Western Sydney University where she holds a joint position in the School of Computer Science & Mathematics, and in the School of Social Sciences and Criminology, and is Key Researcher with the CRC Smart Satellites. She is currently researching on Payment Diversion Fraud and Ransomware, Tracking Money-Laundering through Bitcoin Blenders, distributed extreme edge computing for micro-clustered satellites, and Ethical Hacking.  She previously was Senior Lecturer in Law, Key Researcher on the CRC Data to Decisions – Big Data in National Security, and Senior Fellow with the Australian Cybersecurity Centre for Research and Education all at UNSW. She is the Cyber-Ambassador for the NSW Cybersecurity Network.  She is on the Board of Directors for the cybercrime investigation company IFW Global. She lectures & researches in Cybersecurity, Privacy and Security by Design, Cyber Risk Management, and Artificial Intelligence across the disciplines of Law, Criminology, Business, Political Science and Information Communications Technology. Alana has done consultancy work on Cyber Security, Open Data, Big Data, Technology and Civil Liberties for both the Australian and Canadian governments, industry and NGOs. Alana has done media with 60 Minutes, the New York Times, Insight, ABC, and 730 Report, and is the author of many books and articles.

Thank you for your continued attendance at MARCS Monday Afternoon Colloquiums.  Let's keep the momentum going.

MARCS staff and students are reminded that all meetings and workshops have an important role in building and maintaining the sense of community which is central to the success of MARCS as a cooperative and energetic research institute.  Your attendance is both welcomed and expected.

The zoom ID is: 627 146 998. Link to zoom https://uws.zoom.us/j/627146998