Department of
Criminology and Criminal Justice

American corporations and governmental agencies have fallen victim to increasingly more frequent and complex cyber-attacks over the past 16 years. Many of these attacks are reported to originate from a specialized unit of the People’s Liberation Army of the People’s Republic of China. This study examines the structural, institutional, and regulatory factors that may be contributing to this continued victimization. Data are derived from interviews, observations, and published works, including previously-classified “leaks.” While internal issues, such as a lack codified security standards, contribute to reduced online security, this research suggests communication, cooperation, and trust between nodes, in accordance with guidelines from the “responsive regulation” literature, will lead to the greatest reduction in cyber-attacks.