Cyber and Crime
Jerry M. Couretas · 2024
Cyber-crime consists of cyber-enabled crime and cyber-native (dependent) crime, the two of which are often confused. Cyber-enabled crime often uses cyber-based social media and open-source information to profile a target in preparation for a crime (e.g., theft). Cyber-native crime, on the other hand, usually includes the development of malware and specific scanning of computer networks in order to enable criminal operations on a network/device of interest. The connection between cyber and crime spans from simple data theft to the malicious destruction of the targeted computer-based technology. In order to unpack the roles of cyber and crime, we will review cybercrime definitions before taking a look at criminal cyber applications in the form of spam, and the increasing use of ransomware. We will also introduce both cyber “gangs” (e.g., CONTI, ReVIL …), responsible for some of the major ransomware attacks, and their supporting tools, such as botnets and crypto-currency that are used to conduct criminal cyber operations.