Will 'Cybercepted' Be Introduced to Prevent Digital Sex Crimes?

'CPTED Techniques for Crime Prevention Environment Design'
Discussion on Cyber Space Application
Commissioned Research by National Police Agency

At the Digital Sex Crime Special Investigation Headquarters plaque unveiling ceremony held on the 25th at the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency North Building, Police Chief Min Gap-ryong and other attendees unveiled the plaque. From the left, Jo Joo-eun, Director of Women's Safety Planning, Nam Gu-jun, Director of Cyber Safety Bureau, Chief Min, and Choi Seung-ryeol, Investigation Review Officer. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Discussions on the introduction of 'Cyber-CPTED' to prevent cybercrimes such as digital sex crimes have gained momentum following incidents like the Telegram 'Nth Room' case. Cyber-CPTED refers to the application of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to cyberspace to prevent crimes.

According to the National Police Agency and the Public Procurement Service's Nara Marketplace on the 28th, the police recently commissioned a research project titled 'Analysis of External Environmental Factors Affecting the Occurrence of Cybercrime.' Cybercrimes are characterized by widespread damage when they occur, rapid spread of harm, and difficulty in recovery when attacks target national infrastructure. Therefore, prevention is more important than post-incident response. The concept of Cyber-CPTED as a preventive measure has been discussed since 2017, making it a relatively recent development. The idea is to apply the principles of CPTED?which lowers crime rates by changing local environments such as expanding closed-circuit television (CCTV) and improving urban aesthetics?to cyberspace.

However, there is almost no domestic or international research on Cyber-CPTED. A police official explained the reason for commissioning the research, stating, "As preliminary research, it is necessary to analyze the external environmental factors that cause cybercrime."

This study aims to collect and review various research and publications on Cyber-CPTED, gather and analyze actual overseas cases, and establish a Cyber-CPTED concept applicable to Korea's circumstances. Additionally, it will analyze the causes of specific types of cybercrime such as digital sex crimes, phishing, hacking, and internet fraud, and study the overall cybercrime prevention activities currently implemented by the police from a CPTED perspective to explore development plans.

The police plan to conduct the research over five months and, based on the results, continue further research and discussions on the introduction of Cyber-CPTED. A police official stated, "By introducing the theoretical concept of CPTED into the cyber security domain, we can establish a new cyber security paradigm," adding, "We intend to conduct research considering various elements of cybercrime."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.