Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime

University of Portsmouth

Organisation profile

The Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime (CCEC) was founded in 2022 to bring together the expertise across the University in order to enhance research, teaching and innovation in this area. CCEC builds upon the work of the Centre for Counter Fraud Studies, which has been integrated into this new centre and the Cybercrime Awareness Clinic, which is also a part of this new Centre.

Staff associated with the proposed Centre have been at the forefront of researching and understanding these challenges and contributing towards solutions which address these risks and enhance societal and organisational security and resilience. The Centre aims to harness, coordinate and further develop the considerable academic expertise that already exists in the Faculty and University. CCEC will also provide a more coherent means to facilitate greater multidisciplinary working and cooperation of the many other pockets of interest in the areas it addresses across the University and beyond.

The University is already in the unique position of possessing the largest group of active researchers engaged in this area in the UK, if not the world. In addition to the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ) there are interested scholars located in the School of Computing (SOC), Faculty of Business and Law (FBL) and School of Psychology (SOP).

The CCEC research focuses upon the following broad areas

Fraud
Corruption
Intellectual property crime
Financial regulation
Economic and industrial espionage
Money laundering
Cybercrime
Cybersecurity
Digital forensics
Forensic accounting
Prevention, detection, investigation and punishment for cybercrimes and economic crimes
Environmental crime
Victimology

UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Our work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

SDG 2 Zero Hunger
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 4 Quality Education
SDG 5 Gender Equality
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 14 Life Below Water
SDG 15 Life on Land
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

Mo Adda
- Mo.Addaport.acuk
Person: Associate, Academic
Elizabeth Morayo Adeoye
- Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime
Person: Doctoral Student
Fahad Ahmad
- Fahad.Ahmadport.acuk
Person: Associate, Academic, Affiliate

Economic Crime and the Collaboration Deficit: A Framework for Research-Practice Partnerships
Hock, B., Mapston, S. & Han, B., 13 Apr 2026, University of Portsmouth, 18 p.
Research output: Working paper

Open Access
File
Economic Criminology Collaboration Toolkit: Practical instruments for research partnerships between academia and the public sector
Hock, B., Mapston, S. & Han, B., 17 Apr 2026, 11 p. International Society of Economic Criminology.
Research output: Other contribution

Open Access
File
Exploratory research to examine the impact of fraud on victim health
Skidmore, M., O’Connell, F., Halkon, R., Meenaghan, A. & Button, M., 13 Feb 2026, (Early online) In: International Review of Victimology.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
14 Downloads (Pure)

How to make an incel: mapping the gendered journey to antifeminism and misogyny
Lucy, S. (Author), Walker, C. (Supervisor), Sugiura, L. (Supervisor) & Weal, M. (Supervisor), Sept 2025
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
It’s not all 0s and 1s: a theoretical and pedagogical approach to creating a framework for cyber security and online safety education
Marsden, S. (Author), Karagiannopoulos, V. (Supervisor), Sugiura, L. (Supervisor), Reid, I. (Supervisor), Wakefield, A. J. (Supervisor), Savage, N. J. (Supervisor) & Karagiannopoulos, V. (Supervisor), 2025
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
Novel Techniques for Detecting Tor Botnets
Fajana, O. (Author), Haig, M. (Supervisor) & Shiaeles, S. (Supervisor), 13 Dec 2023
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis

File

3 Active
12 Finished

XTRUST-6G
Shiaeles, S. (PI), Kanta, K. (CoI), Khusainov, R. (CoI) & Adda, M. (CoI)
1/01/25 → 31/12/27
Project: Research
ENSURE-6G: Evolution in Security and Privacy for 6G networks
Kanta, K. (PI) & Shiaeles, S. (CoI)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/01/25 → 31/12/28
Project: Research
360 immersive technology as a tool for improving risk judgements in probation training
McDermott, M. (PI), Haggar, L. (CoI) & Meenaghan, A. (CoI)
25/04/22 → …
Project: Research

Tampere University (External organisation)
Hock, B. (Member)
1 Sept 2026 → 1 Aug 2029
Activity: Membership types › Membership of board
Police Regional (SE) Ethics Board (External organisation)
Karagiannopoulos, V. (Chair)
Jul 2026 → …
Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee or panel
15th International Counter Fraud, Cybercrime and Forensic Accounting Conference
Freeman, C. (Presented paper)
17 Jun 2026
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference

Sculpting jaws, giving scores: Inside the world of looksmaxxing
Solea, A.
15/03/26
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment
This is mogging – a researcher and young people reveal what the phenomenon that emerged from social media means
Solea, A.
2/02/26
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research cited
You might have come across it on TikTok: "looksmaxxing." It's all about maximizing your appearance.
Solea, A.
16/01/26
2 Media contributions
Press/Media: Expert comment