Article Review #1
Corey Guillaume
School of Cybersecurity, Old Dominion University
CYSE 201S: Cybersecurity and Social Sciences
Prof. Diwakar Yalpi
Cybercrime is often thought of as something that only involves computers, code, and hackers
sitting behind screens. However, a closer look reveals that these crimes are deeply human. They
involve emotions, trust, manipulation, and social vulnerability. One study that clearly
demonstrates this connection is “Modus Operandi and Blockchain Analysis of Romance Scams:
Cryptocurrency-Driven Victimization” by Amy Lim and Kyung-shick Choi, published in the
International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime. The study analyzes how
romance scams work when cryptocurrency is involved, combining digital forensic techniques
with social science insights about crime and victimization.
The authors focus on how scammers use emotional manipulation to convince victims to send
money in the form of cryptocurrency. They explore blockchain transactions to identify patterns
in how the scammers move stolen funds. The main research question is how the flow of
cryptocurrency in romance scams can be traced and understood. The researchers suggest that
scam-related wallets show clear behavioral patterns that could help identify them. The
independent variable in this study is the classification of a wallet as being scam-related or not,
while the dependent variables are the behaviors of those wallets, such as transaction volume,
timing, and complexity.
The methods used are mainly observational and forensic. The authors analyze public
blockchain data to track wallet behaviors and transaction patterns. They use data visualization,
network analysis, and comparison of scam wallets to normal ones. While this might sound
technical, the study keeps its focus on the human aspect. The researchers point out that many
victims are isolated or emotionally vulnerable individuals who are targeted specifically because
of those traits.
This study clearly connects to social science concepts such as routine activity theory, which
suggests that crimes happen when there is a motivated offender, a vulnerable target, and no
effective protection. It also relates to broader issues like digital inequality. Marginalized groups,
especially older adults and people with limited tech literacy, are often more susceptible to these
scams. They may not understand how cryptocurrency works or may not feel confident reporting
these crimes when they happen.
The larger contribution of this research is that it helps bridge the gap between technology and
humanity. It shows how understanding the social context of cybercrime is just as important as
tracking the digital traces. By identifying how scammers operate and who they target, this study
offers insights that could lead to better education, prevention, and support for victims. It is a
clear example of how social sciences remain essential in an increasingly digital world.
Article Review #2
Corey Guillaume
School of Cybersecurity, Old Dominion University
CYSE 201S: Cybersecurity and Social Sciences
Prof. Diwakar Yalpi
The article by Ghaleb (2025) talks about how knowing about cybersecurity and having a good
company culture can affect how employees follow security rules. The main idea is that people
are more likely to follow rules if they understand the risks, trust their bosses, and work in a
supportive workplace. This shows that it is not just rules or technology that matter, but also how
people act and the environment they work in.
The article connects to ideas in social science, like how people behave, how groups work
together, what motivates people, social norms, and how trust and leadership affect decisions. It
shows that employees’ actions are influenced by their beliefs and the culture around them. Social
science looks at these kinds of human behaviors, so this study fits well with what the field
studies.
The study wanted to find out if knowing about cybersecurity makes employees follow rules
better, how the company culture affects this, and if trust in bosses changes the relationship
between knowing about cybersecurity and following rules. The study had three ideas tested.
First, knowing more about cybersecurity helps employees follow rules. Second, that a good
company culture increases rule-following. Third, trusting leadership makes knowing about cybersecurity more effective. The things that were tested, called independent variables, were
cybersecurity knowledge, company culture, and trust in leadership. The thing that was measured,
called the dependent variable, was how much employees followed security rules.
The researchers asked employees to fill out surveys with questions about their knowledge of cybersecurity, their company’s culture, trust in leadership, and how well they follow rules. They
used the answers to find patterns and connections between knowledge, culture, trust, and rule-
following. They analyzed the answers using statistics to see which factors made the biggest
difference. They also checked if trust in leadership helped strengthen the connection between
knowing about cybersecurity and following rules.
This study relates to what we learned in class about how people behave, social rules, and trust.
It shows that people are more likely to do the right thing when they understand the risks and feel
supported by their company and leaders. Even though the study did not focus on marginalized
groups, it can help all employees, including those who feel left out or undertrained, by showing
that including and supporting everyone can make the workplace safer and better for everyone.
In conclusion, this study shows that teaching employees about cybersecurity is not enough.
People also need a good company culture and trust in their bosses to follow rules well. This
study can help companies keep their data safe and protect employees and the public. It also
shows how human behavior and workplace culture affect society, which is an important part of
social science
References
Ghaleb, M. M. S. (2025). Controlling cyber crime through information security compliance
behavior: Role of cybersecurity awareness, organizational culture, and trust in senior
management. International Journal of Cyber Criminology
Cybersecurity and Social Sciences- Presentation Assignment