Cybercriminal Profiles Don't Always Match Perceptions, Report Says

The widespread perception that cybercriminals are generally technically skilled and highly organized may not be accurate, according to a new study.

According to a report published in the Dutch-language magazine Second (PDF), cybercrime follows a pattern similar to other crimes in that the majority are carried out by everyday individuals acting alone.

A translated summary of the research published by Host Exploit says that Dutch researchers used police data to come up with a cybercriminal "profile" that differs significantly from the popular perception.

"The commonly held view of a cybercriminal being foreign, having high-tech skills, and operating in organized groups causing large scale problems has come mainly from the media," according to the translated summary. "The researchers found that the evidence they looked at in the Dutch police files did not support that view. The evidence pointed to many 'small' or 'petty' crimes being committed by ordinary individuals operating on their own.

"Cybercriminals can carry out attacks for financial gain, for revenge, or due to relationship or emotional problems, just as in offline crimes," the translated summary states. "But cyberspace offers plenty of opportunity for these acts to be perpetrated."

The researchers emphasize that their cybercriminal "profile" does not suggest that organized cybercrime doesn't exist -- it only suggests that investigators should not begin with the assumption that an online attack has been committed by an organized, tech-savvy criminal.

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