This fascinating book gathers together an enviable range of experts from a variety of disciplines to study how trust and crime interact with new digital technologies. It provides a critical discussion on the prospects of the Internet and on the future of crime and crime prevention. It also presents a realistic vision of the implications and uncertainties of future developments in cyberspace, and identifies the key issues affecting the way in which today’s complex information societies are evolving.The distinguished authors begin by exploring the social, economic and technological issues surrounding cyberspace. They identify the measures that need to be implemented to avoid the potential for the Internet to encourage new types of crime and to facilitate traditional crime. They then analyse topics such as the possible drivers of the evolution of cyberspace, the prospects created by innovations in technology, the threats and barriers to cyberspace development, and the feasibility and effectiveness of proposed crime prevention measures. They also address the important issues of risk, privacy and trust in cyberspace, and discuss the ethical, legal and regulatory issues.

This important new book will be of immense value to academics and researchers with an interest in the social and technological aspects of information and communication technologies, law, criminology, public policy, Internet security and risk management. It will also appeal to a broad audience that is concerned about the potential threats posed by the advance of the information superhighway.