Edition 17: Unmasking Cyber Crime: Exposing the Mentality of Hackers and Fraudsters!
Dewayne Hart CISSP, CEH, CNDA, CGRC, MCTS
CEO at Secure Managed Instructional Systems (SEMAIS) a SDVOSB l Official Member @ Forbes Tech Council | Author of "The Cybersecurity Mindset" l Keynote Speaker l Cybersecurity Advisory Board Member @ EC-Council
Cybersecurity and criminal activity have surged over the years. Many individuals and organizations understand that physical crimes are less common, thanks to the prevalence of digital systems and online criminal activity. Consider this: a cybercriminal can execute their tactics behind digital devices and inflict severe damage in seconds, compared to a bank robbery that may take 5 minutes. ?
Cybercrime, or using computer technology or online networks to commit crimes, ranges from fraud and identity theft to threats and intimidation. Cybercrime and its many manifestations have increased over the past 20?years. For example, cybercrime costs increased from approximately $3 trillion in 2015 to more than $6 trillion in 2021, expected to increase to over $10.5 trillion by 2025 (Morgan,?2020). In the U.S. alone, approximately 23 percent of households experience some sort of cybercrime annually (Reinhart,?2018; Hawdon et al.,?2020). Indeed, in the same way that larceny characterized the twentieth century, cybercrime characterizes the twenty-first century (Albanese,?2005). These facts reflect the economic costs of cybercrime and do not account for the non-monetary harms caused by cyber violence. Cyberstalking, online sexual exploitation, cyber-harassment and bullying, threats of violence, and online violent extremism are also commonly committed acts of cyberviolence (FBI,?2021).
Understanding cybercriminals' motivations is a complex task. Comical-minded people may state that cybercrime occurs due to a bad day, a failed relationship, or boredom. The criminal mindset, a realm that society has been grappling with for centuries, is a powerful force. Whether poverty or personal interest drives motivation, the power of the criminal mindset is powerful and disruptive. It can pose a significant threat or benefit to digital systems.
What is evident is that the criminal mindset seeks power and reputational damage. Also, it is much simpler to disrupt digital systems than physical locations. When we invoke “The Cybersecurity Mindset,” one of my written publications, we see a roadmap and ethical thinking process. This means cybersecurity is practiced responsibly and deters criminals. It utilizes various tactics through cultural influence that contribute to cyber success. The criminal mindset would perform the same but in an unethical format.
Now that we have some history and basis for the article, what motivates cybercriminals to cause disruption? From a financial standpoint, obtaining funds through a digital system is easy. This means the motives are clear – why rob a bank when you can conceal your physical tracks? This is one of the tactics cybercriminals pursue to conceal their identity. With physical crimes, we could perform forensics and match their DNA. Digital crimes are much more complex since computers are networked through various schemes. We call this footprinting in the cyber community, but data is sometimes hidden or backdoored through ethical sources. Let me borrow your computer – now you get the point!
Another motivation is cultural influence. Humans live in a psychological environment and will follow their cultural beliefs. These cultural profiles are designed through influential behavioral patterns or cultural norms. In cybersecurity, ethical practices have norms where you secure the enterprise and act ethically. The alternative practice is to act unethically or disassociate yourself from the group. Every hacker, fraudulent citizen, or criminal learns through behavioral influence. If teenagers join a group of friends who hack, they will gain interest. ?
?A Call to Action
There have been many discussion points concerning criminal behavior and deterring its motivation. This is somewhat of a challenging situation but warrants a deeper investigation. Federal agencies have framed various studies and hired social-technical experts, criminal psychologists, or even ethical hackers to gain more insight. One such agency is the FBI Behavioral Analysis Units, which aims to understand criminal behavior. This is by far a substantive move and way forward. ?Stay Safe; remember you are only as safe as your “Mindset.”
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If you're interested in learning more about cybersecurity, check out the links below:
ORDER THE CYBERSECURITY MINDSET: https://www.amazon.com/Cybersecurity-Mindset-Virtual-Transformational-Thinking/dp/1646635884/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=cybersecurity+mindset&qid=1639362043&sr=8-3
??Business: https://www.semais.net
?? Book, Podcast, and Speaking: https//www.dewaynehart.com
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