Estudio sobre cibercriminalidad social y económica en el ámbito de los menores, autónomos y micropymes de la ciudad de Vinarós (Castellón)

Abstract

Objectives of the study on social cybercrime. The first part of the study has as general objectives, on the one hand, to carry out an analysis of the social cyber-risks of minors studying ESO in the public educational centres Leopoldo Querol Institute and Sanchis and Vilaplana Institute as well as in the subsidised educational centres Our Lady of Divine Providence and Our Lady of Consolation, respectively, in the city of Vinaròs, from a criminological perspective as a victim and/or aggressor, if applicable; and on the other hand, to determine which are the activities of routine use of ICT that can increase or decrease the risk of being a victim of cybercrime. In order to achieve these two general objectives, certain specific objectives are proposed, such as, among others, identifying the risk and protective factors associated with the use of ICT in order to find out what happens, why it happens, and what we need to do so that children learn to prevent cybercrime and educators and parents can protect them from such a threat, if necessary. - Objectives of the study on economic cybercrime. The second part of the study has the general objectives, on the one hand, to carry out an analysis of the labour and economic cyber-risks, if applicable, to which the self-employed, managers of shops and public establishments, as well as micro-SMEs in the city of Vinaròs are exposed, so that we can find out the probability and/or risk they have of being victims of economic cybercrime from a joint or global perspective in relation to the 100 participants in the sample; and on the other hand, to determine which activities of routine use of ICTs can increase or decrease the risk of being a victim of economic cybercrime, the importance of having or not, where appropriate, knowledge of cybersecurity, as well as certain behaviours carried out in cyberspace, which will allow us to identify risk and protection factors, where appropriate. In order to achieve these two general objectives, certain specific objectives are proposed, such as, among others, finding out and analysing the frequency with which the self-employed, managers of shops and public establishments, as well as micro-SMEs in the city of Vinaròs, are involved in certain events or behaviours related to a greater or lesser risk of economic cyber-victimization, if applicable. Methodology of the study on social cybercrime. For the first part of the study, a voluntary, individual and anonymous ad hoc victimization survey was used as a self-developed instrument, which was passed out during school hours by the researcher among children in secondary education at the four participating schools under study. The sample used consisted of 436 children out of a total population of 1,243 ESO students. The only exclusion criterion was refusal to participate in the study. Methodology of the study on economic cybercrime. For the second part of the study, a voluntary, individual and anonymous ad hoc victimization survey was used in which the researcher interviewed the managers of shops, public establishments and/or micro-companies, where appropriate, about interaction or habits of ICT use and other habits of daily activities, knowledge of cybersecurity, as well as acts or behaviour carried out in the field of cyberspace, interviewing a total of 130 shops or public establishments and/or micro-companies, where appropriate, out of a total of approximately 575. The only exclusion criterion was refusal to participate in the study, with 100 of them finally taking part. Procedure used in the social cybercrime study. Applying the Viogen risk assessment scale based on the risk levels of Instruction 4/2019 of the Secretary of State for Security. Procedure used in the economic cybercrime study. Applying the combination of the scales for risk assessment in occupational risk prevention of the National Institute for Safety and Hygiene at Work and risk analysis of INCIBE. -Results of the study on social cybercrime. The results have provided empirical evidence on the existing cyber risk for children attending secondary school in the city of Vinaròs, of being a victim or victimizer, if any, of social cybercrime. Results of the study on economic cybercrime. The results obtained have provided empirical evidence on the existing cyber-risk for the managers of public establishments and traditional commerce, as well as micro-SMEs in the city of Vinaròs, of being a victim of economic cybercrime. Conclusions of the study on social cybercrime. Conclusions have been obtained such as, among others, that the interaction with ICT and the Internet of the minors participating in the four educational centres that are the object of this study is high, constituting a probabilistic factor of greater risk of being a victim or victimizer of social cybercrime. Conclusions of the economic cybercrime study. Conclusions have been obtained such as, among others, that, from a preventive criminological perspective, training and information in the field of cybersecurity and interaction with ICTs should be promoted for self-employed workers, micro-companies and their employees, where appropriate, in the city of Vinaròs, although the estimated risk of cyber-victimization obtained in the score of this study has been moderate.