Ranking Motivations for Cybercrime: Exploring the Complex Drivers Behind Cybercriminal Behavior

I have ranked the following motivations for cybercrime from what makes the most sense to the least. Attached to each motivation is the article link used to provide examples for each motive.

1. Multiple Reasons: The human psyche is highly complex. Although all the motives are applicable, most individuals will overlap. As Zurkus references in the article, Zamora writes, “What’s not to like? Money, popularity, and a quiet “screw you” to the man.” So many variables explain why a person behaves in a particular way. Personal, social, and financial factors all contribute to understanding why someone participates in cybercrime. https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/what-drives-hackers-to-a-life-of/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_c1d89a4695edbd23f2bceb54d70f35ce5e536e86-1626721164-0-gqNtZGzNAfijcnBszQi6
2. Boredom: I chose boredom as my second choice due to the overwhelming number of kids who use connected devices unsupervised. Most parents are unaware of the dangers of cybercrime to which their children are vulnerable. As Sonjica writes, “Child sex abuse materials were targeted at children aged three to 13.” Bored kids will also venture into the unfiltered internet, searching for entertainment. Cyberbullying and grooming are also risks associated with unsupervised connected devices. Parents must become aware of the cyber dangers and teach children safe cyber practices. https://www.heraldlive.co.za/news/2021-05-31-cyberbullying-and-online-sexual-grooming-of-children-on-the-increase/  
3. For Money: This motive is number three because it is not just prevalent but rational. Financial reward is a significant driver for many cyber criminals. Risk/reward analysis is a learned behavior that directly corresponds with Behavioral Theory. As Carole writes, “A lot of cybercriminals spend their money on status.”  A lot of money is involved in cybercrime, which will continue to motivate cybercriminals. https://threatresearch.ext.hp.com/sex-drugs-and-toilet-rolls-how-cybercriminals-spend-their-money-infographic/
4. Entertainment: I placed entertainment number 4 because of the availability of knowledge and access to tools for younger generations. Conducting cyber offenses can be exhilarating. Combining the excitement with the Cognitive Theory that “there are no human victims” can attract online criminals. The technological skills required to hack are available to younger and younger age groups. These individuals, like Tom Liner, scraped both LinkedIn and Facebook for fun. Scrolling down to the commit sections will show that people are defending his online crime by writing that it “did no harm,” proving that the Neutralization Theory is in full effect. https://9to5mac.com/2021/07/19/man-behind-linkedin-scraping/
5. Recognition: Although pursuing fame and recognition is not as great a motive as the ones already mentioned, it is number five because it is sought after in the hacker culture. As Corfield writes about cyber criminal Niblack, “he is a self-confessed computer geek posing as UGLegion to attract likes to his Twitter site.” Niblock was part of an online “gang” specializing in digital graffiti and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Recognition falls into the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) and can be highly motivating for cybercriminals. https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/30/bradley_niblock_election_ddos/
6. Political: Hacktivism is best known by mysterious organizations like Anonymous. I placed Political at number six because although upfront, political influences seem like the foundation, motives like boredom, entertainment, and recognition are the most dominant factors. Ideological Individuals or groups use cybercrime to protest or promote their agendas.  As mentioned in the Reuters article, hacktivists, leaktivists, and public disclosure organizations like QAnon and WikiLeaks are extremely popular. I maintain that stronger reasons like boredom, entertainment, and recognition drive Political motives. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/new-generation-of-angry-youthful-hackers-join-the-hacktivism-wave-adding-to-cyber-security-woes/articleshow/81707844.cms
7. Revenge: Although the desire for revenge can be powerful, it is not as prevalent as the others. Lisa Baker’s article explains revenge porn as image-based sexual abuse. I agree with her article when she talks about ex-partners releasing private images to hurt someone. However, I have trouble seeing how someone who does not know an individual can desire revenge. Either way, image-based sexual abuse is horrific and must be eradicated. I better understand revenge as a motive when someone tries to get back at a company or individual. For example, an individual may try to delete information from a company that fired them. I can see how revenge can be a strong motivation for cybercriminals. https://newsfromwales.co.uk/news/revenge-porn-victims-in-wales-often-feel-let-down-by-the-law-as-cybercrime-slips-through-the-net/