4. Manifestations of cybercrime

4.19. SUMMARY

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SUMMARY / MAIN OUTPUTS FROM THE CHAPTER

·      A significant part of cybercrime uses or transmits notorious types of illegal activities (such as fraud, copyright infringement, theft, bullying, etc.) to the digital environment, where they can be committed “better, faster and more effectively” than in the real world. Pure cyberattacks can include, for example, hacking, DoS and DDoS attacks, botnets, etc.

·      With the development of services based on the principle of as-a-service, a number of platforms (typically underground, darknet forums) have emerged in the cybercrime environment, where services are offered that can be described as crime-as-a-service (cybercrime- as-a-service). Thus, a “malware or underground economy” emerges that provides almost any user with the means to commit cybercrime.

·       The chapter introduces basic cyberattacks. A typical modus operandi is presented, as well as the possibilities of criminal sanctions for these actions.

·       Cybercrime can be defined as conduct directed against a computer or, in some cases, computer network, or as conduct in which a computer is used as a tool to commit a crime. An indispensable criterion for the application of the definition of cybercrime is the fact that the computer network, or cyberspace, is then the environment in which this activity takes place.


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KEY WORDS TO REMEMBER

  • social engineering
  • botnet
  • malware
  • ransomware
  • spam
  • scam
  • phishing
  • pharming
  • fraud
  • hacking
  • cracking
  • DoS, DDoS
  • APT

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KNOWLEDGE CHECK QUESTIONS    

·       What is characteristic for social engineering?

·       What is a botnet and how does it work?

·       What are the typical botnet topologies?

·       Is it possible to criminalise an owner of a botnet?

·       What is malware?

·       What are the most common examples of malware?

·       What are the most common malware infection vectors?

·       What is ransomware and what are its manifestations?

·       What is phishing and how is this attack most often conducted?

·       What is the difference between phishing and pharming?

·       What is hacking?

·       What is characteristic for cracking?

·       What is the difference between hacking and cracking?

·       What is a DoS attack and how does it work?

·       What is the difference between DoS and DDoS?

·       What can be included in the distribution of defective content?

·       What is APT?