What is cybercrime?

Cybercrime is criminal activity that either targets or uses a computer, a computer network or a networked device.

Most, but not all, cybercrime is committed by cybercriminals or hackers who want to make money. Cybercrime is carried out by individuals or organizations.

Some cybercriminals are organized, use advanced techniques and are highly technically skilled. Others are novice hackers.

Rarely, cybercrime aims to damage computers for reasons other than profit. These could be political or personal.

Types of cybercrime

Email and internet fraud.

Identity fraud

Theft of financial or card payment data.

Theft and sale of corporate data.

Cyberextortion (demanding money to prevent a threatened attack).

Ransomware attacks (a type of cyberextortion).

Cyberespionage (where hackers access government or company data).

Cryptojacking (where hackers mine cryptocurrency using resources they do not own).

Most cybercrime falls under two main categories:

Criminal activity that targets

Criminal activity that uses computers to commit other crimes.

Cybercrime that targets computers often involves viruses and other types of malware.

Cybercriminals may infect computers with viruses and malware to damage devices or stop them working. They may also use malware to delete or steal data.

Cybercrime that stops users using a machine or network, or prevents a business providing a software service to its customers, is called a Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack.

Cybercrime that uses computers to commit other crimes may involve using computers or networks to spread malware, illegal information or illegal images.

Sometimes cybercriminals conduct both categories of cybercrime at once. They may target computers with viruses first. Then, use them to spread malware to other machines or throughout a network.

Cybercriminals may also carry out what is known as a Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDos) attack. This is similar to a DoS attack but cybercriminals use numerous compromised computers to carry it out.

Now we'll dive into the two most common types of encryption used in securing Internet communications: symmetric encryption and public key encryption.

Examples of cybercrime

Malware attacks

Phishing

Distributed DoS attacks

How to protect yourself against cybercrime

Keep software and operating system updated

Use anti-virus software and keep it updated

Use strong passwords

Never open attachments in spam emails

Do not click on links in spam emails or untrusted websites

Do not give out personal information unless secure

Be mindful of which website URLs you visit