14 year-old children doing cybercrime

Date: December 08, 2006
Source: mirror.co.uk
By: Jon Clements

Criminals are grooming computer whizkids as young as 14 for a life of cybercrime, claims a report.

Organised gangs entice them into hacking and phishing - when information is teased out of victims by someone pretending to work for a legitimate organisation.

Talent spotters monitor chatrooms and information sharing websites for recruits, says the online security firm McAfee.

Analyst Greg Day said: "This is definitely happening right now in Britain."

Gangs also monitor websites where hackers meet to swap tips and discuss tactics. Mr Day added: "We see organised groups running these sites to find people who are good at it."

If the youngsters are breaking the law, they blackmail them into working for them.

In some countries, bright kids are sponsored through college to improve their skills.
Original article

---

Add comment  Email to a Friend