Illicit bits: Detecting and analyzing contraband networks in massively multiplayer online games

Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad; Brian Keegan; Sophia Sullivan; Dmitri Williams; Jaideep Srivastava; Noshir Contractor

doi:10.1109/PASSAT/SocialCom.2011.183

Illicit bits: Detecting and analyzing contraband networks in massively multiplayer online games

Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad, Brian Keegan, Sophia Sullivan, Dmitri Williams, Jaideep Srivastava, Noshir Contractor

Computer Science and Engineering

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although trade in illicit items and services is prevalent in many economic systems, collecting reliable data and making empirical claims about this activity is difficult. Using anonymized behavioral logs from a massively multiplayer online game, we analyze the items exchanged by players later banned for gold farming. We simultaneously analyze clandestine social networks of deviant players in MMOGs as well the network of contraband items that are sold by these players. The insights from the network analysis are used to build predictive models for identifying deviant players in the clandestine networks. We show that the results obtained from our proposed approach are far superior to the state of the art for such clandestine networks. Additionally we observed that the contraband networks contain certain type of objects which are not found in their "normal" counterparts.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011
Pages	127-134
Number of pages	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/PASSAT/SocialCom.2011.183
State	Published - Dec 1 2011
Event	2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust, PASSAT 2011 and 2011 IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, SocialCom 2011 - Boston, MA, United States Duration: Oct 9 2011 → Oct 11 2011

Publication series

Name	Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011

Other

Other	2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust, PASSAT 2011 and 2011 IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, SocialCom 2011
Country/Territory	United States
City	Boston, MA
Period	10/9/11 → 10/11/11

Keywords

Clandestine network
Contraband network
Gold farm
Massively multiplayer online game
Multiple consignment contraband

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10.1109/PASSAT/SocialCom.2011.183

Cite this

Ahmad, M. A., Keegan, B., Sullivan, S., Williams, D., Srivastava, J., & Contractor, N. (2011). Illicit bits: Detecting and analyzing contraband networks in massively multiplayer online games. In Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011 (pp. 127-134). [6113104] (Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011). https://doi.org/10.1109/PASSAT/SocialCom.2011.183

Illicit bits : Detecting and analyzing contraband networks in massively multiplayer online games. / Ahmad, Muhammad Aurangzeb; Keegan, Brian; Sullivan, Sophia; Williams, Dmitri; Srivastava, Jaideep; Contractor, Noshir.

Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011. 2011. p. 127-134 6113104 (Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Ahmad, MA, Keegan, B, Sullivan, S, Williams, D, Srivastava, J & Contractor, N 2011, Illicit bits: Detecting and analyzing contraband networks in massively multiplayer online games. in Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011., 6113104, Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011, pp. 127-134, 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust, PASSAT 2011 and 2011 IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, SocialCom 2011, Boston, MA, United States, 10/9/11. https://doi.org/10.1109/PASSAT/SocialCom.2011.183

Ahmad MA, Keegan B, Sullivan S, Williams D, Srivastava J, Contractor N. Illicit bits: Detecting and analyzing contraband networks in massively multiplayer online games. In Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011. 2011. p. 127-134. 6113104. (Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011). https://doi.org/10.1109/PASSAT/SocialCom.2011.183

Ahmad, Muhammad Aurangzeb ; Keegan, Brian ; Sullivan, Sophia ; Williams, Dmitri ; Srivastava, Jaideep ; Contractor, Noshir. / Illicit bits : Detecting and analyzing contraband networks in massively multiplayer online games. Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011. 2011. pp. 127-134 (Proceedings - 2011 IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust and IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT/SocialCom 2011).

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AU - Williams, Dmitri

AU - Srivastava, Jaideep

AU - Contractor, Noshir

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Illicit bits: Detecting and analyzing contraband networks in massively multiplayer online games

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