Johannesburg, 24 Aug 2005
A new Virtual Criminology Report by McAfee shows there is a 'hierarchy` of cyber criminals, and that ID theft is the most damaging Internet crime.
The McAfee Virtual Criminology Report, released this week, says the FBI estimates cybercrime cost about $400 billion in 2004. It says while viruses have been most costly for business, ID theft has been the most damaging form of cybercrime.
McAfee notes that a new class of criminals is "using the Internet in new, systematic and professional ways to commit illegal acts".
It says that before 2000, cybercriminals acting alone committed the majority of cybercrimes, usually in an attempt to attain notoriety within the cyber world.
However, it says there is now a hierarchy of cybercriminals, with an evolution of the amateur cyber delinquent to the professional cyber gang.
The report says the goal of many cybercriminals is to infect thousands of computers and turn them into a network of devices that have been compromised by worms or viruses and attack in unison on command.
Those who succeed in creating such a "bot-network" or "bot-net", now have access to a powerful tool for crime. Such access has become easier, as spammers, hackers and other cybercriminals are able to acquire or rent "bot-nets". Some "bot-net" owners will rent their networks for $200-$300 an hour, the report states.
It adds that the growth of online banking and commerce is part of the draw for cybercriminals.
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