Transnational Organized Crime
Transnational Organized Crime
Intervention, Prevention, and
Suppression of Cybersecurity
Robert M. Brzenchek
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD
Lanham • Boulder • New York • London
Published by Rowman & Littlefield
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Copyright © 2020 by The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Brzenchek, Robert M., author.
Title: Transnational organized crime and gangs : intervention, prevention, and suppression of cyber-security / Robert M. Brzenchek .
Description: Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020001461 (print) | LCCN 2020001462 (ebook) | ISBN 9781538128183 (cloth) | ISBN 9781538142783 (pbk) | ISBN 9781538128190 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Transnational crime. | Organized crime--Technological innovations. | Transnational crime--Prevention--International cooperation. | Computer security.
Classification: LCC HV6252 .B79 2020 (print) | LCC HV6252 (ebook) | DDC 364.106--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020001461
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020001462
Foreword
As the CEO of SERAPH (https://www.seraphproblemsolving.com/school-gangs) for the past fifteen years, I have provided the risk management, security management training, and security system redesign for the House of Blues/Live Nation Corporation, SBE Entertainment Group, Lucky Strike Entertainment, the Gaylord Hotel chain, and The Oncenter–Pirro Convention Center. I am also currently a federal law enforcement instructor and SME for the HIDTA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas and MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic–Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network programs. Since 1995, I have trained over 100,000 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers.
I have also been a frequent expert with media outlets, including a featured episode of Forensic Files (“Bump and Run,” Season 3, Episode 21 [2002]) and a new History Channel series entitled True Monsters. In 2002, I was given a presidential appointment to the U.S. Selective Service system, and in 2004, I became a member of the FBI’s InfraGard program.
Through my firm SERAPH, and my education team, we have provided school safety training and consulting to more than thirty thousand schools in the United States. Beginning in the year 2000, Congress tasked SERAPH with providing a “State of School Safety in America” report to them every two years. To date, SERAPH has provided three reports to members of Congress, specifically the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Robert Brzenchek is a board member of SERAPH and is a vital part of SERAPH, especially within our School Gangs Prevention and Resolution Program. Mr. Brzenchek’s career as a law enforcement officer, a military member in the intelligence community, an emergency management specialist at both the state and federal levels, a UAV instructor, and a higher education administrator affords him a unique perspective in the development of policy and procedure. In the public sector, Mr. Brzenchek worked with dozens of national agencies, governments, and international organizations in the use of advanced technologies and information sharing. In the private sector, Mr. Brzenchek has worked with organizations as diverse as DHS, DOD, major corporations, ports, and public utilities on security matters, risk management, policy, and technologies. There are very few individuals in the United States who can conduct the ISO 27k risk assessments that Mr. Brzenchek has performed. His diversity and subject matter expertise afford him the ability to offer insight such as a gang situational awareness presentation to International Fellows at the National Defense University in Washington, DC. In addition, Mr. Brzenchek provided a crucial briefing on Social and Cultural Awareness (Gangs) for the Marines 3D Civil Affairs Group at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. I had the privilege of offering my perspective on gangs in his last published book entitled The Gang Life: Laugh Now, Cry Later: Suppression and Prevention published by CRC Press Taylor and Francis. We both value InfraGard; he currently serves as a board member for the South Florida Chapter of InfraGard, and we look forward to sharing this book with its membership. This book, I envision, will become a vital resource for academics, practitioners, and policymakers alike. Robert has a unique perspective that will be displayed herein.
—Dale Yeager, Forensic Profiler/CEO SERAPH
Acknowledgments
I want to recognize the unsung heroes of our law enforcement, intelligence, military, cyber, and private sector communities who use technology to protect and serve our nation from domestic and global actors. Also, I recognize my colleagues who contributed content to this book: Col. Josh Potter (SOCOM Transnational Organized Crime Unit Commander), Jerry Hester (Ret. FBI), “Jack Riker” (former Russian mafia member), Cassondra “Cocoa” Bowden (army combat veteran), and my mentor, Mike Penders (former international organized crime prosecutor and member of the Spectrum Group).
Introduction
This book will provide several first-person examples of the mind-set and mentality present in today’s transnational organized crime groups, combined with a holistic approach toward prevention and intervention in the cybersecurity space. Credence will be given to the role and importance of the gang members’ spirituality and family connections, whether these are supportive of the gang culture or attempt to set an anti-gang environment. This will be augmented by examples of how the increasing threats are coming from transnational organized crime groups (e.g., Russian mafia, Chinese Triads, MS-13, and cartels). These influential organizations have tremendous power and money, which means they have the ability to pay hackers to defeat cybersecurity measures. The dangers posed by organized crime groups are nothing new. For decades, these groups have launched sophisticated attacks against individuals as well as major corporations. Billions of dollars have been stolen every year, and large, continuous hacks of our highly sensitive computer systems continue to take place. What is new is the acknowledgment that cybersecurity should be a high priority for every individual, company, and government entity. While the Department of Homeland Security’s involvement in cybersecurity is a step in the right direction, more measures need to be put in place that facilitate collaboration across industries and government entities. For example, to measure the nation’s cybersecurity efforts, there needs to be a diverse membership comprised of federal and state regulators with responsibility for oversight of publicly/privately owned facilities, privately owned and operated suppliers, crisis-level and regional management authorities, and other parties. The membership should be familiar with the International Standards Groups (ISO) standards, and in every case, they should be experienced with implementation and auditing organizations and facilities that have chosen to adopt voluntary, standards-based management systems. This membership