Cybercrime Motivations:
Most cybercrime can be described by a simple, or complex, motivating factor. It can be beneficial to identify these motives and research the crimes and actions related. I have ranked the following cybercrime motivations with one being the highest and 7 being the lowest.
- Money – Most crime can be attributed to individuals/groups desire to gain monetary figures: these crimes may be stealing bank information, credit card numbers, etc. This is a very common form of cyber theft.
- Political – On a more national level, cyber criminal seek government information. This may include hacking systems with important information regarding traffic policies, election polls, military affects, etc.
- Multiple reasons – Many times there is more than one reason a criminal commits their crime. Whether it be an opportunity attack or one that is planned, there are typically a few factors that could be involved (i.e. monetary gain as well as entertainment).
- Entertainment – Individuals take their technical skills and use them to provide themselves with fun challenges that engage them, these criminals find amusement within mischief.
- Revenge – This can be on a small or large scale. For example, hacking into someone’s account after a feud (this may be on social media) or on the larger scope, felons interrupting law enforcement systems and communications.
- Recognition – An individual may take to cyber crime to prove they can; the higher the risk, the higher the reward.
- Boredom – Crime that happens for “no reason”. This could be seen heavily in video games and media accounts. Individuals find accounts that are vulnerable and steal them when they feel.