CYBERCRIME 2

Cybercrime

Definition - What does Cybercrime mean?

Cybercrime is defined as a crime in which a computer is the object of the crime (hacking, phishing, spamming) or is used as a tool to commit an offense (child pornography, hate crimes). Cybercriminals may use computer technology to access personal information, business trade secrets or use the internet for exploitive or malicious purposes. Criminals can also use computers for communication and document or data storage. Criminals who perform these illegal activities are often referred to as hackers.

Cybercrime may also be referred to as computer crime.

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Techopedia explains Cybercrime

Common types of cybercrime include online bank information theft, identity theft, online predatory crimes and unauthorized computer access. More serious crimes like cyberterrorism are also of significant concern.

Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of activities, but these can generally be broken into two categories:

• Crimes that target computer networks or devices. These types of crimes include viruses and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
• Crimes that use computer networks to advance other criminal activities. These types of crimes include cyberstalking, phishing and fraud or identity theft.

The FBI identifies cybercrime fugitives who have allegedly committed bank fraud and trafficked counterfeit devices that access personal electronic information. The FBI also provides information on how to report cybercrimes, as well as useful intelligence information about the latest cybercriminals.