People break the law for a number of reasons. One might steal to aid a loved one in need or because one feels that he has not been treated impartially by the system. Others do so due to anger, lust, avarice or even boredom. As cybercrime is a relatively new spectrum for the average person and the law enforcer to grapple with, it is useful to be aware of when the motives are congruent with those of normal crimes and when they are not.

The desire for entertainment

This usually applies to youngsters who have been introduced to hacking for the very first time. Some try out various methods of hacking to see what works and what does not. “Scamps” are playful hackers who do nothing more than get additional peer respect by hacking into websites and posting messages or pictures on them. In addition, there are those who feel adrenaline gushing through them when they pit themselves against powerful security systems and attempt to “beat” the system by getting in but doing no damage eventually. By itself, this motivation is the least harmful. However, frequent successes in penetrating security systems might stoke a more harmful rationale for undertaking cyber criminal activities.

Profit

This is the most widespread motive behind all cybercrimes and, indeed, most crimes- everyone wants to make money. Hacking for money or for free services includes a smorgasbord of crimes such as embezzlement, corporate espionage and being a “hacker for hire”. Scams are easier to undertake but the likelihood of success is much lower. Money-seekers come from any lifestyle but those with persuasive skills make better con artists in the same way as those who are exceptionally tech-savvy make better “hacks for hire”.

Infuriation or revenge

Anger could be an emotional reason for any genre of crime committed. The release of adrenaline effects a temporary suspension of rational thought and decorum. Dumped lovers or spouses, retrenched employees, businessmen who feel cheated or ripped off etc. belong to this category. Anyone who feels that he or she has been unjustly treated can do anything from defacing a firm’s website with profanities to introducing viruses or mounting a full-scale DoS attack. One may simply choose to threaten or blackmail the wrongdoer via email. All this depends on how strong the provocation was and how the offender chose to respond. One thing’s for certain, the crimes committed out of anger are usually crude and poorly devised.

Social motivators

This usually pervades in hacker milieus where the strength literally lies in numbers. Some hackers break into systems just to prove their capabilities to their counterparts. Moreover, by encouraging and daring one another to go on further, groups of hackers cause far more harm than each one would individually. Others hack to help others out of a seemingly “dogmatic” system. Cybercriminals may also commit crimes simply to seek some attention from authority or family members. Teenagers characteristically belong in this group.

Political agenda

People who have political agendas when committing crimes usually ascribe to rudimentarily robust leftist or rightist beliefs. These are people who have, or who are facing difficulties. They use the Net merely to spread propaganda or get their opinions heard. They could also severely debilitate the systems of any other party which does not support them so as to weaken rivals or simply procure press coverage to strengthen their cause. Their crimes include cybertheft to obtain funds for their campaigns and real world criminal activities. Identifying hackers of this group can often be difficult. Some may be indulging in crime purely for political reasons while others may simply want to exploit the political turmoil which predates a terrorist attack.

Sexual impulses

Sexually motivated cybercriminals encompass passive and active paedophiles as well as serial rapists. Passive paedophiles download child pornography and indulge in pornographic stories and photos. The abuse of children’s rights when these photos were taken is what makes child pornography illegal. However, active paedophiles do not just stop at fantasizing. They use chat rooms to befriend children. They can then choose to rape the children after arranging a meeting with them or choose to gradually seduce them into a fairly long sexual relationship. Both have severe penalties for these culprits. Serial rapists resort only to meeting their victims in dark and secluded areas. There are examples of crimes which use the Net to support a real world crime. Such criminals also belong in the following category.

Psychiatric Illness

The rarest but potentially most harmful cybercriminals are those with mental disorders. Those who suffer from schizophrenia, depression, mania, personality disorders etc. are detached from society. They can find refuge in the world of cyberspace where their true personalities are masked and where they can act out their fantasies in relative peace. These criminals may potentially be very hard to track down as their motivations may be illogical and their next course of action unpredictable. This is especially the case for highly intelligent criminals who also belong to this category.

Reference

Examining Cybercrime: Its Forms and Its Perpetrators
http://www.univd.edu.ua/_projects/ezloch_kor/docs/eng/37.doc

The Good, The Bad & The Internet
http://www.csoonline.com/read/093004/goodbad.html