Getting a Handle on Internet Crime

Last year for the first time, proceeds from cyber crime were greater than proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs, according to comments by Valerie McNiven, an adviser to the Treasury Department. The profile of the typical cyber criminal is changing fast, too. If you think that’s a lone hacker sitting in a college dorm or a basement recreation room, think again. Cyber crime is rapidly evolving from the domain of misguided pranksters, to elaborate, profit-driven schemes involving organized-crime syndicates that may be based around the block, or halfway around the world. It’s estimated that 85% of malware today is created with profit in mind. The sobering corollary to that statistic: only 5% of cyber criminals are caught and prosecuted