What Is Cybercrime?
Cybercrime is a term used to describe crimes that involve the use of information technology and networks. These can range from computer viruses to hacking, identity theft, denial of service attacks and even acts of cyberterrorism. As people around the world become more and more reliant on information technologies, criminals are finding new ways to exploit this technology.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) receives reports of cyber crimes from the public. It sends them to the appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation. For example, if a victim’s complaint involves unauthorized credit card or bank account transactions, IC3 will forward the case to a financial fraud unit.
Similarly, if a case involves the illegal distribution of copyrighted material, it will be sent to a digital piracy unit. Cyber-extortion cases are also sent to a cyber extortion unit, and the same goes for cases that involve ransomware attacks on businesses.
Cyber threats impact the economy by disrupting business operations and compromising personal data. They can affect consumer confidence and cause companies to lose revenue. They can also erode the efficiency of emergency response systems.
As the public becomes more reliant on information technologies, there is a need for professionals who can design and implement safeguards against these threats. A career in cybersecurity can position you to help protect the privacy of individuals and businesses, as well as help keep our economic infrastructure working smoothly.