OntoCexp: A Proposal for Conceptual Formalization of Criminal Expressions

Abstract

Internet has become the main communication instrument between criminals. Expressions used by criminals are ciphered, by replacing language terms with regionalized and mutant expressions. There is a need to reveal, understand and formalize these obscure dialects to enable the automation of searches and the analysis of intentions. OntoCexp (Ontology of Criminal Expressions) aims at providing a common and extensible model for identifying usage of crime expressions in Internet. Its foundations come from an initial terminology and a semantic analysis of written communication between criminals (from Twitter) in Brazil (Portuguese language). 17 papers on ontologies, out of 63 articles of interest, have been selected and used as input to our proposal. The initial version of OntoCexp and its core elements are presented here; the complete ontology (OWL file) is available publicly to be used. We expect it to be useful for cyber-security researchers and criminal investigators who wish to formalize knowledge on criminal communication in their systems, methods, and techniques.