What is Cybercrime?
Cybercrime is an offense that involves unauthorized access to a computer system. These crimes are committed by individuals or groups that have malicious intent.
The number of cybercrimes is growing rapidly. It has been estimated that cybercrimes cost the global economy a staggering $600 billion per year.
Many of these incidents are conducted by state-sponsored actors. Others are carried out by organized criminal groups.
Various academic disciplines have studied the causes of cybercrimes. Some of these theories include the role of “space” in cybercrime, and the role of online communities. Other works explain the role of external forces and the cultural transmission of criminal values.
Regardless of the causes, cybercrimes are growing. They are a threat to anyone’s personal and financial security.
As more and more people use the Internet, there is an increased risk of being victim to a cybercrime. There are several ways to reduce this risk. First, use strong authentication methods. Always check the sender of an Email or other attachments before opening them. Also, never open an unknown file.
Another way to protect yourself is to encrypt local hard disks. This will minimize the damage from ransomware attacks. You can also use a virtual private network.
The US has several government agencies that investigate cybercrimes. These include the National Computer Forensics Institute, the Internet Crime Complaint Center, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
These agencies work with private sector organizations to coordinate efforts. The USSS’s Electronic Crimes Task Force, for example, investigates cyber attacks on the financial infrastructure.