According to the FBI there is no one face to the cybercriminal.
Cybercriminal profiles in fact show that these bad actors run the gamut from computer geeks looking for bragging rights, to businesses trying to gain an upper hand in the marketplace by hacking competitor websites. And of course there’s also the professional criminal and even state-sponsored cyber gangs.
So we can say that cybercriminals are individuals or teams of people who use technology to commit malicious activities on digital systems or networks with the intention of stealing sensitive company information or personal data, and generating profit.
It should be noted that hacking does not necessarily count as a cybercrime. In other words, not all hackers are cybercriminals. Cybercriminals hack and infiltrate computer systems with malicious intent, while hackers only seek to find new and innovative ways to use a system, be it for good or bad.
Cybercriminals are known to access the cybercriminal underground markets found in the deep web to trade malicious goods and services, such as hacking tools and stolen data. Cybercriminal underground markets are known to specialize in certain products or services.
Laws related to cybercrime continue to evolve across various countries worldwide. Law enforcement agencies are also continually challenged when it comes to finding, arresting, charging, and proving cybercrimes.
The modus operandi of cybercriminals fall into major categories. They may infect computers with viruses and malware to damage devices or stop them working. They may also use malware to delete or steal data. They can also do both categories of cybercrime at once.
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.
The US Department of Justice recognizes a third category of cybercrime which is where a computer is used as an accessory to crime. An example of this is using a computer to store stolen data.
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