With the evolution of technology continuously on the rise, more and more of our every day interactions from big to small are connected to technology. Likewise, the growth of technology has also led to a growth in several other different types of crime. This relationship between technology and crime is quickly developing and our understanding of this relationship has to keep up. As technology advances, so do the methods and opportunities for criminal activities, prompting the need for a deeper understanding of cybercrime within the realms of criminology and criminal justice.
The development of cybersecurity-related terms in conjunction with criminology has only been a recent occurrence. Computer crime laws were first developed in 1978 in preparation for the new criminal opportunities that arose along with new technology (Payne & Hadzhidimova, n.d.). Criminal justice is beginning to intertwine with cybersecurity and cybercrime, albeit more on the slow side. A strikingly low percentage of criminal justice programs include cybercrime work in their course and the same can be said about cybercrime programs with criminal justice work.
Despite cybersecurity being identified as the biggest threat to financial organizations, more focus has been aimed at STEM areas rather than criminal justice academically. Criminology has a great deal to offer when it comes to its relationship with cybercrime: “defining cybercrime, explaining cyber offending and victimization, identifying guardianship activities, measuring victimization and offending, developing future employees, expanding the field of digital forensics, determining interventions, developing, researching, and understanding cyber law, seeking NSA Designation, and conducting interdisciplinary research” (Payne & Hadzhidimova, n.d.).
Analyzing and discussing criminal justice and cybercrime can wrap back around to other disciplines when it comes to studying the motivations of crime. Related to criminal motives are sociology and psychology, among others. Cybercrime intersects with various fields, necessitating a holistic approach to understanding and combating it.