What Is Cybercrime?
Cybercrime is any illegal activity committed using computer networks or systems. It encompasses a wide range of offenses such as hacking and malicious software that targets individuals and businesses, to cyber extortion, distributed denial-of-service attacks, and the production or distribution of child pornography. It can also be used to carry out more traditional criminal activities such as identity theft, fraud and money laundering.
The Internet’s speed, convenience and lack of borders have enabled criminals to commit crimes from anywhere in the world with just a computer and an internet connection. As a result, cybercrime has exploded and impacts everyone from individual consumers to small businesses, large companies and even governments.
Infected computers can be controlled by cybercriminals, who can remotely steal data and attack other machines over the internet. These attacks can lead to a host of problems, from lost business to public distrust and financial loss. The first cyberattacks were launched in the early days of the internet. The Morris Worm, created by a Cornell grad student, infected the computer systems of Stanford, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, NASA and Lawrence Livermore Labs. Later, a 16-year-old boy and his accomplice released malware that crippled computers at the Air Force’s Rome Laboratory. Ransomware like WannaCry and NotPetya froze the operations of companies from shipping giant Maersk to drug manufacturer Merck.
Federal law enforcement agencies have different definitions of what constitutes cybercrime, preventing them from sharing information and working together to fight these crimes. This has left victims unsure who to report an incident to, and companies may choose not to report their losses in fear of reputation damage or lawsuits.