What are the motives behind cybercrimes?
Posted: 20th May 2024 - Reading Time: 3 minutes
Cyber crime has increased greatly, partly because committing crimes online makes it easy for criminals to hide their identity and location, which can be anywhere in the world that has an Internet connection. This makes it challenging for police and other law enforcement agencies to locate them, but to further complicate this, different countries have different laws and bringing cyber criminals to justice often involves cooperation between countries.
The key motivations for cyber criminals are money and information. According to the 2024 Verizon Enterprise report, around 95% of attacks are motivated by reasons related to financial motivation and corporate or government espionage (spying). Another less frequent but broader set of motives is often categorised as ‘FIG’ (Fun, Ideology, and Grudges).
Common motives for cyber crime.
Money
Financial gain is a prevalent motive behind many cyber attacks and data theft incidents. Cyber criminals aim to profit either by directly extorting money from victims through ransomware attacks or by selling valuable stolen data on underground marketplaces. For instance, the WannaCry ransomware attack on the National Health Service (NHS) in 2017 disrupted services across hospitals in the UK, demanding payments in Bitcoin to restore access to critical patient data.
Competition
Illegally accessing a competitor’s sensitive information can provide significant advantages in business. Cyber attacks often target intellectual property (IP), including proprietary designs, research data, or customer databases. In 2018, British Airways suffered a data breach affecting hundreds of thousands of customers’ personal and financial details, illustrating the vulnerability of major UK corporations to cyber espionage and data theft.
Moreover, competitors may launch cyber attacks for purposes of corporate espionage, blackmail, or to tarnish a rival’s reputation through orchestrated cyber campaigns. Such attacks can severely impact industries reliant on innovation and proprietary knowledge, such as pharmaceuticals, high-tech manufacturing, and financial services in the UK.
Political motivation
Cyber crime has increasingly been used as a tool for political influence and disruption in the UK. Instances include attempts to interfere with elections through misinformation campaigns or by hacking into electoral systems to manipulate voting results. For example, allegations of Russian interference in the Brexit referendum and subsequent elections have raised concerns about cyber threats to the democratic process in the UK.
Furthermore, state-sponsored cyber attacks can target government agencies, aiming to disrupt operations, steal classified information, or gather intelligence on political adversaries. These attacks may involve sophisticated malware designed to infiltrate and compromise sensitive systems, as seen in incidents targeting UK government networks and diplomatic missions.
Personal reasons
Cyber crime can also stem from personal motives ranging from curiosity and thrill-seeking to ideological beliefs or grievances. Some individuals engage in hacking activities out of curiosity or to test their technical skills against robust security measures. For example, ethical hackers, also known as white-hat hackers, often collaborate with UK businesses and government agencies to identify and fix vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them.
In contrast, other individuals may act out of ideological motivations, seeking to expose perceived injustices or advocate for causes they believe in. For instance, hacktivist groups have targeted UK government websites to protest policies or disclose sensitive information in the public interest.
Additionally, personal vendettas or acts of revenge can drive cyber criminals to target specific individuals or organisations in the UK. These attacks may involve leaking compromising personal information or launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks to disrupt online services and reputations.
Understanding these diverse motives behind cyber crime is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate risks and protect against evolving cyber threats faced by businesses, government organisations, and individuals in the UK.
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