This thesis deals with the concept of cybercrime prevention protocols against ransomware attacks within Dutch municipalities. It starts with a description of the development of cybercrime attacks,...Show moreThis thesis deals with the concept of cybercrime prevention protocols against ransomware attacks within Dutch municipalities. It starts with a description of the development of cybercrime attacks, and ransomware in particular, aimed at Dutch municipalities. Then it follows up with the routine activity theory and current ransomware prevention methods and measurements. The practical part analyses input from employers of municipalities and IT-experts. They provide access to questions asked for the purpose of this investigation. The response is based on experience and successful attacks by hackers on municipalities. After the input has been analysed, a set of recommendations will also be made. These recommendations will be used to improve cybercrime prevention. Conclusively, the consequences of cybercrime prevention protocols on ransomware attacks will also be discussed both in terms of image and financial effect of such protocols.Show less
The purpose of this dissertation, conducted at Leiden University is to research the effect of the implementation of an RFID chip in passports on the rate of detected identity fraud in The...Show moreThe purpose of this dissertation, conducted at Leiden University is to research the effect of the implementation of an RFID chip in passports on the rate of detected identity fraud in The Netherlands. In order to answer the main research question, different research methods were chosen. Desk research was used for the literature study which provides the background information of this thesis. The results are also based on desk research because the data from annual statistical reports were used. Field research was conducted through an interview with two employees from the data providing institution. The research showed that the implementation of RFID chips in passports created security and privacy issues that entail many dangers. On the other hand, the addition of biometric data on the chip brings great benefits. In the results, in which the data from the annual reports of the expertise center for document fraud in the Netherlands has been analysed, it is clear that no major reduction in the size and modus operandi of committed identity fraud is visible. This led to the conclusion that the chip's implementation has had no major effect on the magnitude and nature of identity fraud.Show less
Open data policies, as well as e-government policies, are usually associated with many promises that range from transparency to efficiency gains for the public administration. However, how...Show moreOpen data policies, as well as e-government policies, are usually associated with many promises that range from transparency to efficiency gains for the public administration. However, how effective these policies are in meeting the (high) expectations of practitioners, politicians, and citizens is a topic of debate. In this thesis we focus on the Italian case, in which transparency is often evoked as a solution to many societal problems, to investigate the relationship between transparency and institutional and organizational features of local governments. The thesis also introduces the concept of open data mediated transparency as a way to complement the concept of open government. Open data mediated transparency aims at capturing how open data sharing through the Italian National Open data portal translates into transparency. To measure this concept, this study uses the four dimensions of governmental transparency developed by the Pew Institute and adapts them to the Italian case. The following question is central in this thesis: what are the institutional and organizational factors that influence open data mediated transparency in Italian local governments? Objectives: This thesis has three research objectives. First, the thesis aims to assess the implementation of open data initiatives in Italian municipalities through the attainment of transparency goals. Second, the study wishes to improve our understanding of the open data phenomenon in the context of Italian local administration. The final goal of this thesis is to investigate institutional and organizational factors that might influence how transparent Italian local administrations are and, therefore, how open data policies are implemented in Italy. Methods: The study is based on a quantitative deductive approach. A Poisson regression is used to test the different hypotheses. Key findings: The results of the analysis show that there is no support for population size, level of education of the personnel of the public administration, organizational resistance, and political affiliation as factors that affects open data mediated transparency. Overall, open data mediated transparency varies greatly among municipalities with few local administrations sharing transparent and relevant datasets. The results are discussed and lead to suggestions for future research and policy recommendations.Show less
The CRUKS exclusion register has been activated as of October 2021 by the Kansspelautoriteit, the gambling regulatory authority in the Netherlands. The register is aimed at tackling gambling...Show moreThe CRUKS exclusion register has been activated as of October 2021 by the Kansspelautoriteit, the gambling regulatory authority in the Netherlands. The register is aimed at tackling gambling addiction and protecting consumers. This study forecasts the likely success of CRUKS in meeting these public policy goals by way of comparison with the ROFUS self-exclusion register in Denmark, where a similar gambling regulatory environment exists, but which has also had its register in place for longer than in the Netherlands. Gambling exclusion registers such as CRUKS and ROFUS are examples of digital public sector innovation, with clear theoretical roots in behavioural economics, whereby the vulnerable gambler is offered a ‘one stop shop’ facility for (temporary) removal from gambling channels, while not prohibiting the less vulnerable and recreational player. The extension of the ROFUS register to land-based casinos in Denmark in late 2016 is employed as a cut-off point at which to test its effect on gambling activity in that sector. This policy intervention is shown to have a significant but steady downward effect on gambling activity, suggesting that such a register will likely have a similar effect on the gambling market in the Netherlands. This is particularly important to Dutch gamblers in light of the recent regulation of online gambling in the country, in light of the potential intensifying effects this channel has on problem gamblers.Show less
