Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Applied Engineering and Technology Management

First Advisor

Suhansa Rodchua

Second Advisor

John Pickard

Third Advisor

Arash Rafiey

Abstract

The Internet has become an essential part of our daily lives. Cyberspace has emerged significantly with an enormous number of users, creating a lucrative hunting field for cybercriminals. The exponential growth of internet users and online activities, along with the increased sophistication of cybercrimes, is raising significant global concerns for individuals, organizations, and governments. This research aims to explore the cybersecurity landscape in the United States, investigate regional variations, and the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of cybercrimes. The study utilizes a mixed research method approach, including historical analysis and a Delphi study. Historical analysis studied datasets provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to gain insight into the dynamic cybercrime landscape over the years from 2018 to 2022. In addition, the Delphi study engaged the expert panel in determining the main factors affecting cybercrimes and preventive approaches against cyber threats. There was a statistically significant increase in the number of crimes across all the states in 2020 compared to 2019 following the COVID-19 pandemic’s start. The total number of cyber crimes increased by 69.4% in that year. The top five cybercrimes during the peak of the pandemic were phishing, non-payment/non-delivery, personal data breach, identity theft, and extortion. Phishing continued to have the highest number of victim counts among all cybercrime categories since 2019. Additionally, the West region had the highest cybercrime victim counts per one hundred thousand population compared to other regions. A statistically significant difference was observed in the number of victim counts between the under-20 age groups and other age groups. Socioeconomic factors, including income level, unemployment rates, and education attainment, were found to have positive correlations with cybercrime rates.

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