Criminal Business in Cyber Space
Date: December 17, 2003
Statistics and analyzes of computer crime show a high probability of this crime can exceed drug traffic, trade in arms and rare animals on the money turnover, profitableness and number of people employed in this criminal area. Earlier these three kinds of crime were the first due to their profitability.
According to Russian Special Department “K”, cybercrime in telecommunications increased in 2 times from 2000 to 2001^; and reached 6 000 cases in 2002^; for 9 months 2003 more than 8 200 have been reported.
The average damage from e-stealing in 6-7 times exceeds damage from bank robbery. In other words “cyber robber” can get much more money than his traditional colleagues.
However, according to poll carried out by InformationWeek and PricewaterhouseCoopers in 50 countries among 1600 information security experts:
- servers, related to sale of goods and services through the Internet, has been attacked 10 % more often than servers not used for financial actions^;
- 22% firms engaged in trade through Web-servers had loss of information, and only 13% firms not selling goods via Internet faced this problem^;
- 12% respondents having e-shops reported data thefts and trade secrets^; and only 3 cases have been reported by the firms not selling goods via Web.
In total 57% respondents have been attacked through the Internet. 55% respondents said they have been impacted by insiders.
According to the experts, 60% of companies will have problems with their information security in 2004.
The high profitableness of criminal business in cyber space attracts criminals. Accordingly, damage from cybercrime will increase in exponent in comparison with traditional criminal business. And civilization is not still prepared to neutralize this threat
Computer Crime Research Center
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