Below I have ranked the motives for cybercrime from the ones that make the most sense to the ones that make the least amount of sense. For clarification, this is my opinion, and I do not condone cybercrime! (Just felt like I should say that, promise I’m not scheming…)
1. For Money/Monetary Gain- The birth of the internet and subsequent cyberspaces have created a variety of new and explosive markets. Traditional marketplace landscapes have been shaped by electronic and digital commerce. With any new economic medium, however, there will always be attempts to exploit it. Organized crime and stand-alone criminals have made a profession out of digital theft, exploitation, and piracy. There is a market for this cyber criminality, as the cost of cybercrime is estimated at 8 trillion for 2023. (Morgan, 2022) A recent example of this would be the MGM resort breach, which cost the company 30 million to pay a ransom to regain access to their systems, as well as an additional 8 million per day in lost revenue.
2. Political- Social change occurs online. Hacktivists and state actors recognize this and utilize numerous techniques to sway populations. Defacement of an organizations or government’s website can result in reputational damage, as well as certain messages being disseminated/promoted. Hackers can also breach secure systems and leak top-secret information to expose scandals, push for change, unrest, or even upheaval/regime change. There is a huge incentive to hack for those who want to see change in their community, their nation, or the world.
3. Multiple Reasons- Some attackers may have multifaceted reasons for committing cybercrime. Active persistent threats (APTs) could have numerous reasons to get into an organization and destroy it. It could be to subvert a foreign institution (Political) for money (Monetary), while also getting back at someone who regulated an industry you’ve invested/worked in. (revenge)
4. Recognition- For those who aren’t seeking monetary or social change, there is an ability to have name recognition if able to pull off a successful hack. Though not explicitly hacking, Edward Snowden is known nationwide for his extraction of NSA documents and subsequent release of information to the public. For those looking for fame, there is an avenue through hacking. (On an aside, the hacking group responsible for the Colonial Pipeline hack, Darkside, accidentally brought great recognition/attention to themselves for shutting down the entire East Coast’s gas supply.)
5. Revenge- In some cases, taking revenge could be justified. For the majority of cybercrime cases, however, it usually involves blackmail through originally eliciting damning/demeaning material. Cyber revenge seems silly and, in many cases, just destroys a reputation over a perceived slight.
6. Entertainment- This is one of the lowest reasons to commit cybercrime. Essentially, you get pleasure and enjoyment in inflicting suffering upon others. There’s no gain, other than sick amusement.
7. Boredom– For me, this feels like the worst reason to hack/commit cybercrime. (It’s wrong either way, but this as an excuse is silly.) Rather than take up a new hobby, skill, or other extracurricular, you’ve essentially gone ahead and used a skill/talent to inflict harm upon others, just because you can. (You could even apply for bug bounties/white hat hacking, but instead, you commit a crime, all in all, just lame.)
Sources:
Morgan, S. (n.d.). 2022 official Cybercrime Report. eSentire. https://www.esentire.com/resources/library/2022-official-cybercrime-report
2022 1INTERNET Crime report – internet crime complaint center. Federal Bureau of Investigation . (n.d.). https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2022_IC3Report.pdf