Is data theft from social media a preparatory act for other crimes? : the Maltese experience

Abstract

Nowadays, the internet houses a large amount of information which one can access at any time. Social networking sites are a few websites which hold extensive information, especially personal information. Even though this personal information is protected by special measures in place by the website owners, it is at the risk of criminals who intend to steal that personal data to use it for their own purposes. This research aims to investigate the phenomenon of data theft from social media in the Maltese islands, answering whether it is in effect a preparatory act for other crimes. The research also goes into the extent of theft of social media data, the methods criminals use to steal this data, and the crimes which are associated with data theft from social media. This study was carried out through interviews with key professionals, including data protection office, the Cybercrime Unit of the Malta Police Force, and an academic with a background in mass media and digital media production. This study concluded that data theft from social media is a preparatory act for other crimes. The situation in Malta is a cause for concern, where the stolen information is used for perpetrating fraud on social media. The methods involved in stealing personal data range from social engineering tactics like phishing, to deploying malware into devices and even using public social media Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Public awareness on this issue exists, however more work needs to be done. Self-exposure on social media is also common among the Maltese and it was concluded that this makes it easier for information to be stolen, especially on public social media profiles. The challenges in investigating data breaches were also highlighted. This study implies that more work needs to be done on public awareness and that education on internet safety from a young age will help to minimize data theft from social media.