Motivations for Cyber Crime
Both the prevalence and the extent of the threat posed by cyber crime has grown exponentially over recent years. In terms of motivations, some of the most common reasons for engaging in these kinds of criminal activities include the following:
a. Money: The vast majority of people who commit cyber crimes are motivated by the prospect of making a lot of money in a short space of time.
b. Revenge: It’s also common for people to commit cyber crimes as a form of revenge. One example of which being a disgruntled former employee launching an attack on their former employer.
c. Terrorism: Attacks motivated by religion or personal beliefs are becoming increasingly common, which can lead to enormous physical or economic loss for the victims.
d. Fun: There’s often no specific motivation for a cyber attack, other than the entertainment of those responsible. They simply want to see what they’re capable of.
e. Recognition: Hacking a supposedlyimpenetrable network can be an enormous source of pride and kudos for those operating in known cyber crime networksworldwide.
f. Anonymity: Individuals who would normally shy away from crime may take part in cyber crime activities, having been won over by the prospect of near-total anonymity.
g. Espionage: Computer systems worldwide are regularly hacked and/or monitored by international agencies and governments – a form of cyber espionage.