Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- Focuses on disrupting online criminal networks and Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS) ecosystems
- Brings together academic researchers and security practitioners
- Emphasizes technical, behavioral, and systemic aspects of cybercrime
- Highlights real-world impact and interdisciplinary collaboration
- Features research presentations, experience reports, and dataset papers
The TAKEDOWN Workshop is an academic and practitioner-focused event dedicated to advancing the understanding and disruption of online criminal networks. Colocated with the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS), the workshop will be held in The Hague, Netherlands, in November 2026. It serves as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among experts in cybercrime research and intervention.
Exploring Crime-as-a-Service Ecosystems
The workshop addresses the evolution of cybercrime into sophisticated Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS) ecosystems. These ecosystems involve specialized actors who provide tools and services that enable both digital and cyber-assisted physical crimes. Key topics include the measurement, modeling, and automation of CaaS, as well as the roles and interdependencies within these underground markets.
Participants will examine bulletproof hosting, resilient services, and the economic models that sustain these criminal infrastructures. The event also explores detection and attribution methods, focusing on technical countermeasures such as scams, phishing, fraud, malware, and machine learning-based detection systems.
Human, Behavioral, and Systemic Dimensions
The TAKEDOWN Workshop places strong emphasis on the human and behavioral aspects of cybercrime. Topics include profiling, incentives, socio-technical analysis, and the human factors that drive participation in criminal networks. The event also investigates the technical mechanisms that facilitate cyber-assisted and hybrid crimes, linking online activities to offline harms.
Discussions will cover disruption and intervention strategies, measuring the impact of takedowns, and addressing infrastructure resilience. Legal and ethical constraints are also considered, ensuring that approaches to cybercrime disruption are both effective and responsible.
Audience and Community Building
This workshop is designed for academic researchers, security practitioners, technical professionals, policy makers, and legal experts. Attendees include senior researchers, security engineers, and members of organizations involved in cybercrime detection and intervention. The event fosters community building, thought leadership, and the development of partnerships within the cybersecurity field.
By focusing on the detection and disruption of service-based cybercrime ecosystems, the TAKEDOWN Workshop contributes to the advancement of knowledge and the strengthening of collaborative efforts in the fight against cybercrime.