Cybercrime
Cybercrime involves the use of computers to commit crimes such as fraud, trafficking in child pornography and intellectual property, money laundering, theft and privacy violations. It can be done by individuals, groups or even nation-states with political and military goals. Almost every industry has been touched by cybercrime, as the computer is now central to the way we work.
Criminals can hide behind the anonymity and speed of the internet to carry out their crimes, from phishing and ransomware to data breaches and hacking. But unlike traditional crime, cybercrime can span national borders and require specialized skills and technology to prosecute.
At the simplest level, cybercrime is the theft of personal data that connects to an individual’s identity, such as all or part of their phone number, date of birth or address. Criminals can then use this information to impersonate that person online, access their bank accounts or steal other financial assets.
At the other end of the spectrum, cybercrime can include more malicious activities such as spam, spoofing, denial-of-service attacks against specific websites and cyberterrorism. These acts can cause real-world disruptions and harm, and they often require advanced techniques to evade detection and prosecution. But these cyberattacks can also be detected and stopped by law enforcement officials who have the training, manpower and resources to comb through digital evidence and bring criminals to justice.