ABSTRACT
Cybercrime is any crime that utilizes networked computer systems wholly, or in part, to undertake illegal activities. Such activities are diverse, ranging from theft of money, data or intellectual property to the distribution of illegal images, bullying, piracy and vandalizing websites, such as in hacktivism. The key to the uniqueness of cybercrime is that networked computers – such as those on the World Wide Web (the 'Web') – allow crimes to take place that are more automated, anonymous and unhindered by time and global barriers. It is often suggested that the 'breaking-in' to a computer is unique to cybercrime, but many of the activities associated with hackers and crackers share a traditional corollary. In the UK, cybercrime was regarded as a Tier One risk to the country in the 2010 National Security Strategy, meaning a cyber-attack by other states or cybercriminals is one of the top four risks threatening the UK.
