BotNet News

Cybercrime refers to computer-based crimes committed on the Internet, from hacking and stealing of personal data to theft of intellectual property and copyright infringement. The speed, convenience and anonymity of the Internet makes these crimes much easier to commit than traditional crimes involving physical contact. Additionally, because of the interconnectedness of the Internet, cybercrimes often occur across national boundaries, adding to their complexity and potential for massive losses.

In the past ten years, cybersecurity threats have skyrocketed. Cybercrimes can happen through unsafe websites, social media, holes created by exploiting security vulnerabilities, weak passwords on accounts and smart devices, and emails with malicious attachments. Cybercriminals can steal data, infect a device with viruses and ransomware, and access bank accounts, resulting in identity theft, fraud, and lost income.

Criminals are increasingly committing more sophisticated cyberattacks, with devastating results. The WannaCry and NotPetya viruses are just two of the many malware attacks that have affected large companies, ranging from shipping giant Maersk to pharmaceutical company Merck. Cybercriminals are also using advanced techniques to track and bully their victims on social media. They have even used smartphones to secretly record people and capture audio.

Despite the popular image of sketchy hackers camped out in a dank basement somewhere, cybercriminals are an organized and professionalized industry. They sell malware on the Dark Web, while offering services like business intelligence dashboards to track their malicious activities and technical support (for the criminals who can’t figure out how to break into a bank or corporate network themselves). Cyberattacks are costing individuals, businesses, and governments trillions of dollars every year.