Print Email Facebook Twitter The hybrid victim Title The hybrid victim: Re-conceptualizing high-tech cyber victimization through actor-network theory Author van der Wagen, Wytske (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam) Pieters, W. (TU Delft Organisation & Governance) Date 2018 Abstract Victims are often conceptualized as single, human and static entities with certain risk factors that make them more vulnerable and attractive for offenders. This framework is challenged by emerging forms of high-tech cybercrime, such as ransomware, botnets and virtual theft, in which the offender targets a composite of human, technical and virtual entities. This study critically assesses the current theorization of the cyber victim and offers an alternative approach. Drawing on actor-network theory and three empirical case studies, it analyses the cyber victim as a hybrid actor-network consisting of different entities that, together with the offender, make the victimization possible. The proposed concepts of victim composition, delegation and translation enable a more profound understanding of the hybrid and complex process of becoming a high-tech cyber victim. Keywords: cybercrime, cyber victimization, actor-network theory, botnet, ransomware, virtual theft. Subject Actor-network theorybotnetcyber victimizationcybercrimeransomwarevirtual theft To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:386a7947-4f24-410a-b8cd-5e3885eae96b DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/1477370818812016 ISSN 1477-3708 Source European Journal of Criminology Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2018 Wytske van der Wagen, W. Pieters Files PDF 1477370818812016.pdf 207.04 KB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:386a7947-4f24-410a-b8cd-5e3885eae96b/datastream/OBJ/view