Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in the Developing Pacific Island Economies

Abstract

Recent developments in information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as high-speed broadband, mobile phones, social media and cloud computing have the potential to spawn economic, social and political changes in developing Pacific Island Economies (DPIEs), which are developing economies consisting of the Pacific Islands to the south of the Tropic of Cancer. The latecomer DPIEs may compete successfully or even leapfrog early movers. Broadband, for instance, is likely to create opportunities in offshoring and other areas. Many local banks in DPIEs have started offering online services (Tabureguci, 2009). New services such as mobile banking have the potential to transform traditional ways of living. However, a potential downside of the rapid digitization is that these economies are becoming attractive for cybercrime activities in terms of perpetration, instrument and victimization.