Understanding cybercrime

Summary:

Cybercrime is a major threat to society that generates billions of euros for its perpetrators. It is a form of crime that is continuing to grow, with criminals showing increasing sophistication and resourcefulness. These criminal activities occur at all levels of society and take many forms, from investment fraud to phishing and the creation of bogus entities, including fake charities. The rise in the use of digital solutions for everyday activities in business and public services is matched by the number of digital devices being used by citizens. People are now connecting to numerous digital accounts and are spending more time online than ever before. Coupled with this, cyberattacks and digital scams are on the rise. Not only is the number of incidents growing, but the complexity and the subsequent negative impact is also increasing. Cybercrime can be relatively simple in appearance, such as spurious emails and text messages, or complex, involving a number of actors spreading malicious content through entire business or public service systems in order to block access for ransom purposes or to disable critical entities for ideological reasons. The EU is active in tackling cybersecurity and cybercrime, as demonstrated by its cybersecurity strategy. It has a number of pieces of legislation in place or in the pipeline to tackle vulnerabilities, increase the resilience of essential services and address associated cybersecurity risks. Likewise, EU agencies are proactively dealing with the threat posed by cybercrime by supporting Member States and stakeholders in addressing emerging threats and strengthening resilience.

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