If we really want to eliminate cybercrime, there's only one solution: Shut down the Internet.
But since no one really wants to do
that, the next best thing is to accept that cyber crime exists and try to minimize it as much as reasonably possible.
One tool for accomplishing that, according to
eSecurity Planet columnist Richard Stiennon, is knowing the enemy: Understanding the
drivers of cyber crime. Stiennon says they include:
Ubiquitous Internet. Just as every aspect of commerce and communication has been changed by the Internet, crime has evolved to profit from the millions of potential victims connected to one global network. ...
By some measures the number of people connected to the Internet still grows as much as 10% a month. Think of it; that translates into tens of millions of people each month that are not familiar with offers for Human Growth Hormone, Cialis, and instant mortgages. These newbies are prime targets.
New vulnerabilities. The monthly barrage of vulnerability announcements, particularly from Microsoft, give cyber criminals the inroads they need to devise new attacks and continue their practices of installing Trojans, adware, and spyware.
Markets for identities and tools. Online trading sites for identities create a market for thieves to sell to more sophisticated criminals. In the past, to be a successful cyber criminal you needed to be familiar with coding, hacking, credit card merchant accounts, eBay, wire transfers, counterfeiting, and money laundering. Now you can be a specialist.
Financial success. Cyber crime is sucking in more and more players as word spreads about how easy it is to make money online.
As for ways to mitigate the impact of cyber crime, Stiennon offers only a couple -- better security and international cooperation. If that doesn't sound too hopeful, well, that's because Stiennon feels "we are approaching a crisis."
Hey, don't blame the messenger. Blame those cyber criminals.
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