What is Cybercrime?
Cybercrime is any type of criminal activity committed using the Internet, computer networks, mobile phones and other smart devices. These crimes include identity theft, malware infections and data breaches, which can have a serious impact on business and personal lives.
Cybercriminals are a worldwide community of individuals and organized crime groups that commit cybercrime to make money. These professional cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to commit crimes. They are also taking advantage of the global nature of the Internet to build cybercriminal communities and exploit weaknesses in online infrastructure to carry out their criminal operations.
These crimes are often very targeted and specific, such as a pedophile hacking a dating site for children or a cybercrime group stealing credit card data from an eCommerce retailer. Some of these crimes are carried out for personal reasons, while others can have an international political dimension.
The criminals are also known to be very agile and creative, as they take advantage of the online transformation that is taking place. They can tailor their attacks and cooperate with other hackers in order to get the best results.
This can have a devastating impact on businesses and their customers. A company that experiences a cyberattack can lose customer confidence, suffer huge financial burdens and damage their reputation.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and other government agencies have established special divisions to deal with cybercrime. These agencies are dedicated to preventing and prosecuting computer-related crimes.