What Is Cybercrime and How Can It Affect You?
Cybercrime is any illegal activity involving the use of computers and networks. It covers a broad range of activities including hacking, fraud, malware and identity theft. This growing threat is a global phenomenon and can involve multiple criminal elements, including individuals, organizations and governments. It can affect everything from the financial stability of businesses to the privacy of individuals and families.
Its cost is huge: cyberattacks have reportedly cost business over $1 trillion in 2024 alone and 47% of affected companies struggled to attract new customers, 38% lost existing ones and suffered reputational damage. The impact also goes beyond finances: people can be robbed of their identities, have their personal information stolen and experience the loss of trust.
The key difference is that the Internet makes it easier for criminals to conduct traditional crimes in new ways. They treat it like a business, form global crime communities and develop tools such as ransomware kits and malware-as-a-service. These criminals can attack from anywhere in the world, and many attacks feature multiple compromised devices. As a planet-spanning network, the Internet allows criminals to hide their locations, and because laws are different across jurisdictions, law enforcement has difficulty prosecuting them.
It’s critical for businesses and individuals to protect themselves against these threats, starting with a better understanding of what cybercrime is and how it manifests. For example, a classic way for a computer to become infected is through clicking on attachments in emails from suspicious senders or unfamiliar websites. It’s also important to avoid revealing personal information over the phone or email and to never click on any link provided by an unknown source.