This book contains part of the revised papers presented at the ISPAC International Conference on Crime and Technology held in Courmayeur on November 2003. It presents a multidisciplinary approach to an emerging topic and addresses two main questions: "How do crime and criminals change because of technology?" and "What are the challenges offered that could make the fight against cyber criminals more effective and reduce the opportunities for computer crimes and computer-related crimes?" The authors are well-known policymakers, practitioners and researchers. In their interpretations and answers to the questions posed they focus either on general issues or on details that shed light on the relationships between crime and technology. The challenge remains on the capability of legislation, law enforcement and research to take the best from technology and use it to combat crime and at the same time to oppose the use of technology by criminals in committing their crimes.
This process needs flexibility in legislation, better training in law enforcement and good quality research oriented to help policy solutions and, finally, a good partnership between public authorities, law enforcement, private authorities and consumers associations. This book is of interest to academics and to personnel working in international organizations or in law enforcement areas. Ernesto U. Savona is Professor of Criminology at Universita Cattolica in Milan, Director of TRANSCRIME (Joint Research Centre on Transnational Crime) Universita di Trento/ Universita Cattolica. President of the European Society of Criminology (2003/2004) and Editor of the European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research. Author of books and articles on changes in crime and their implications for criminal policies he is the co-ordinator of two research projects (MARC and IKOC) under the sixth Framework Programme of the European Commission.