Almost 5 million cybercrimes occur in the United States annually. Over 50% of internet users have had their accounts compromised. Worldwide, there is an average of 97 data breaches hourly. Cybercrimes can be divided into three large categories.
Property cybercrimes
Property cybercrimes include DDOS attacks, hacking, virus transmission, cyber and typosquatting, computer vandalism and copyright infringements. The most common type of property cybercrime is phishing involving accounts being compromised to get financial details. Individuals lost an average of $136 in these attacks.
Individual cybercrimes
Individual cybercrimes occur between two people or a small group. Common types of individual cybercrimes include cyberstalking, distributing pornography and trafficking. The definition of cyberstalking varies from one state to the next, but it usually involves harassing another individual. Experts estimate men are stalked an average of 2.2 times in their lives while women are stalked an average of 8.1 times.
Government cyberstalking
The final type of cyberstalking is against the government and is often called cyberterrorism. These attacks are often motivated by social or political beliefs. Another type of government cyberstalking is cyber warfare, where one government uses electronic means to attack another government.
Common criminal defenses against cybercrimes
If the police charge an individual with a cybercrime, they may use several criminal defenses. They may claim that the police violated their Miranda Rights or that the police committed errors when carrying out searches and seizures of evidence. The individual may also claim that they had permission to carry out the activity or that their behavior hurt no one. In some cases, they may deny knowing that the action was occurring.
Cybercrimes can take many forms, and criminals often use several defenses to prove they are innocent.