Types of Cyber Crimes and How to Protect Against Them

With increased reliance on the cloud and data being today’s digital currency, cybercrime has become a pervasive threat that impacts individuals, businesses, and governments alike. Understanding the various types of cybercrime is essential for developing effective strategies to protect against these malicious activities.

What is cybercrime?

Cybercrime encompasses illegal activities that involve computers, networks, or digital devices. These crimes can target individuals, organizations, or governments and often aim to steal sensitive information, extort money, or disrupt operations. As technology evolves, so do the methods employed by cybercriminals, making it crucial to stay informed about the latest threats and employ preventive measures.

Common types of cybercrime

Phishing Attacks

Phishing is one of the most widespread and effective cyber threats. Attackers impersonate legitimate organizations such as banks or government offices via email, text, or phone calls, to trick individuals into sharing sensitive information. This can include login credentials or financial details, which can then lead to identity theft and financial losses.

Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a more targeted form of phishing where cybercriminals manipulate employees into making fraudulent transactions.

Malware Distribution

Malware refers to malicious software designed to damage or infiltrate systems. Common types of malware include ransomware, spyware, trojans, worms, and keyloggers, which steal sensitive data, log keystrokes, or create backdoors for further exploitation and business disruption.

Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware attacks involve a type of malware that encrypts files and demands payment (a ransom) in exchange for restoring access. These attacks can paralyze entire organizations, from hospitals to financial institutions, and result in significant financial damage. There are many types of ransomware attack vectors, such as email attachments, website pop-ups, or text messages.

Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) has made it even easier for cybercriminals to deploy these attacks at scale. To learn more, read our Guide to Prevent Ransomware.

Identity Theft

This can be the result of other types of attacks. Cybercriminals steal personal information—such as Social Security numbers, banking details, and passwords—to commit fraud. Identity theft can result in unauthorized transactions, fraudulent credit accounts, and reputational damage for businesses that fail to protect customer data.

Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks

In DoS and DDoS attacks, cybercriminals flood a network, server, or website with excessive traffic, causing it to crash or become inaccessible. These attacks are often used to disrupt business operations, extort companies, or serve as a distraction for other cyber threats.

In 2023, researchers from Bitsight and Curesec discovered a high-severity vulnerability that could leverage vulnerable instances to launch massive Denial-of-Service (DoS) amplification attacks with a factor as high as 2,200 times—potentially making it one of the largest amplification attacks ever reported.

Cyber Espionage and State-Sponsored Attacks

Some of the most sophisticated cyber threats come from state-sponsored actors engaged in cyber espionage or cyber warfare. These attacks target governments, critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and large enterprises to steal intelligence, disrupt operations, or gain a geopolitical advantage. Unlike traditional cybercrime, these threats are often highly coordinated and persistent.

Supply Chain Attacks

Instead of targeting organizations directly, cybercriminals infiltrate their supply chains—third-party vendors, cloud providers, or software suppliers—to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or systems. Verizon reported that 62% of system intrusion incidents came through an organization’s partner. The SolarWinds breach is a well-known example of how devastating supply chain attacks can be.

To learn more, read our Guide to Mitigate Supply Chain Attacks.

Cyberstalking and Online Harassment

Cyberstalking involves the use of digital platforms to harass, intimidate, or threaten individuals, often leading to severe emotional distress for the victims. Cybercriminals exploit social media, email, and messaging services to monitor victims, steal personal information, or manipulate online reputations.

Financial and Banking Fraud

Cybercriminals exploit weaknesses in banking systems, online transactions, and digital wallets to commit fraud. This includes unauthorized wire transfers, ATM skimming, and cryptocurrency exchange hacks.

The financial impact of cybercrime

The financial repercussions of cybercrime are staggering. According to IBM, the global average cost of a data breach has reached $4.88 million, marking a 10% increase from the previous year—the largest annual rise since the pandemic.

This upward trend underscores the critical importance of robust cybersecurity measures to mitigate potential financial losses. But the economic consequences of cybercrime extend far beyond immediate financial losses. Attacks on organizations and governments disrupt entire digital economies, threaten critical infrastructure, and erode public trust in cybersecurity systems.

Regulatory fines and legal repercussions also contribute to the rising cost of cybercrime. Companies failing to comply with security regulations like GDPR, SOX, and DORA risk facing hefty fines, legal action, and shareholder lawsuits. In some cases, cyberattacks result in long-term reputational damage, leading to decreased stock prices and loss of customer confidence.

Additionally, organizations incur significant post-breach expenses, including forensic investigations, incident response, legal settlements, and regulatory penalties. Affected businesses must also invest in rebuilding customer trust through PR campaigns, security overhauls, and long-term remediation efforts—all of which come with a high price tag.

Protecting against cybercrime

Understanding what constitutes cybercrime is just the first step. Organizations must implement proactive cybersecurity measures to reduce their exposure to threats, including:

• Security Awareness: Regular employee training and simulation exercises on phishing, password hygiene, and social engineering tactics can reduce user-related vulnerabilities.
• Regular Software Updates: Keeping systems and applications up-to-date to patch vulnerabilities.
• Data Encryption: Ensuring sensitive information is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.
• Strong Access Controls: Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) and the principle of least privilege (PoLP) to minimize unauthorized access.
• Continuous Monitoring: Leveraging real-time cyber risk ratings and continuous monitoring solutions can help organizations detect and mitigate threats before they escalate.
• Zero Trust: Implementing Zero Trust security principles ensures that no user or device is trusted by default, reducing the likelihood of successful attacks.
• Incident Response Plan: Organizations must be prepared to detect, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks quickly. Regular tabletop exercises and penetration testing can enhance resilience.

By staying informed and understanding the different types of cybercrime, businesses can mitigate risks and stay ahead of emerging threats.