I'm always fascinated by anything new of the topic of criminal profiling, the so-called "third wave" of investigative science. Geographical profiling, in particular, is surprisingly effective. So I was highly interested to read about the latest research going on at Queen Mary, University of London, which is studying the foraging habits of bumblebees to gain an insight as to how serial criminals might select their targets. Both bees and criminals, for example, tend to maintain buffer zones around their residences to avoid attracting attention. And both limit their travel to reduce cost or effort.
Profiling for cyberspace-based criminals requires a different set of metaphors and criteria. But it's a powerful tool that we need to develop a lot more. And it's the right approach for the crime. Bacause the best response against cyber attacks is to use the network and its data against the attacker.