INTRODUCTION

With our world moving towards digitisation, the

occurrences of cyber crimes on systems can be highly
damaging. As technology progresses and more people
depend on the internet-abled services for every day
activities, including storing their credit card details and
transacting money online, cyber crimes are becoming
more common than ever. The consequences of these
digital attacks are destructive and can cause some
serious damage.
 1. Pandemic-Related Phishing

Phishing has always been prevalent and, at one point, it became the most
significant cybersecurity threat in a year. To combat phishing attacks, security
companies over the years, kept developing new methods, such as hardware-
based authentication and renewed approaches to security-oriented training and
awareness, yet phishing is still effective today and many still fall victim to it.

However, recently, it became a critical issue again because of Covid-19.

Cybercriminals have been using the pandemic narrative to peddle fear and con
individuals to provide them access to sensitive information. One example was
recorded in the UK. Elderly people received emails and calls that promised them
Covid-19 vaccination as long as they provide the data that the email sender or
caller asked (Info-sec, 2021).

Another mode of phishing related to the pandemic is a common one. Email

recipients would be led to click on links that supposedly offered health advice or
policies for remote workers.

Individuals in the US are experiencing something similar as well. Scammers

would call people and their numbers would appear as if they originated from
the CDC. A great number of these callers would request donations. Additionally,
attackers would utilise emails that include links and downloads for malware,
which enable them to steal information from victims. One such email campaign
even uses the name of CDC to con people (CDC, 2020).

Another tactic has had widespread success. Hackers are imitating a Skype login
page and are conning users into providing their usernames and passwords, as
they believed they were logging into a legitimate platform. Cybercriminals have
been so successful at this because they are aware that 90% of data breaches are
caused by human error.

The phishing threat has reached an all-new level. Google’s Threat Analysis
Group shared that they blocked 18 million Covid-19 themed emails that
contained phishing links and malware downloads per day (Security Magazine,
2020). This is a staggering number of emails that got caught but there are still
numerous emails that managed to escape cybersecurity nets. To prevent falling
victim to phishing scams, users need to be more vigilant with the links they open
and the files they download.

Pandemic-related phishing trends highlights

 Cyberattacker’s are exploiting the pandemic to victimise people.

 A phishing campaign has been posing as the CDC.
 Google blocked 18 million Covid-19 themed emails per day
 A phishing campaign has been posing as the CDC.
 Google blocked 18 million Covid-19 themed emails per day.

2. Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware remains one of the biggest threats on the web today. First coming
into the fore in 2017 with the effects of global campaigns Not pets and
WannaCry, reports show that the number of ransomware attacks doubled in
2018, hitting 10.5 billion globally. In the following year, however, that figure
decreased to 9.9 billion (SonicWall, 2020).

Nevertheless, ransomware attacks remain a critical threat to cybersecurity,

especially due to the intensive digitisation that companies went or are going
through because of COVID-19. In 2020, 51% of organisations were hit by a
ransomware attack; three-quarters of which resulted in data becoming
encrypted. As a result, 26% of victims paid the ransom to get their data back.
Unfortunately, 1% of those who did so did not have their data freed and
released back to them (Sops, 2021).

To combat ransomware attacks, there are several decryption tools available in

the market, but developers of ransomware see to it that they continue to
always be one step ahead by releasing new versions of malware.

Ransomware attacks trends highlights

 51% of organisations were hit by ransomware attacks in 2020.

 26% of victims paid the ransom.
 1% of victims who paid the ransom did not get their data back.
 3. Increase in BEC Attacks

The first half of 2020 saw a 200% increase in Business Email Compromise (BEC)
attacks (Bit-defender, 2020). The targets of these cyberattacks were businesses
that frequently dealt with suppliers abroad and who exchange money online.

To commit this kind of cybercrime, hackers pose as vendors, suppliers, or

customers, they are able to hijack money exchanges and redirect those to their
own accounts.

An example of a BEC attack happened to a telecommunications provider. The

hacker posed as a genuine vendor, successfully persuading employees to direct a
payment to a different account. Fortunately, the company’s cybersecurity team
detected that a legitimate invoice was being rerouted and stopped the
transaction before it went through. If they had not, it would have led to a
$700,000 loss to the business (Cloud tic).
4. Mobile Malware

In the third quarter of 2020, Iran, Bangladesh, and Algeria topped the list of
countries with the most mobile malware attacks. The report shows that 30.29%
of mobile users in Iran experienced a mobile malware attack. Bangladesh and
Algeria follow closely behind, with 17.18% and 16.28%, respectively of mobile
users reporting mobile malware (Secure-list, 2020). Pakistan, which used to be
among the top three countries most afflicted by mobile malware, is no longer
even in the top 10.

Like other kinds of cyber threats, mobile malware is also becoming more
sophisticated. Last 2020, the Microsoft 365 Defender Research Team uncovered
a new Android malware, which was the latest evolution of mobile ransomware
and also much more sophisticated than its predecessors. This malware fully
disabled the use of Android devices and forced individuals to pay the ransom to
gain back control (Microsoft, 2020).

This evolution is not going to halt anytime soon. According to the same research
team, more variants are to be expected in the future. This is due mainly to
machine learning, which feeds the evolution of malware.
To guard against mobile malware, users have to be more mindful of the
websites they the files they download, and the links they click on. It would also
be prudent to install a cybersecurity app to help prevent such attacks.

5. Cyber activism

Cybercrime is no longer just for thieves. Cyber activists are now also
contributing to the vast amount of cybercrimes that happen daily. Modern
activist movements consider cyber activism as a significant milestone. And
according to cybersecurity analysts, hacktivism shows no signs of stopping th is
year and in the years to come.

Cyber activists are the online equivalents of protesters fighting for a particular
agenda. One of their main purposes is to interrupt the website operations of a
company or an organisation as a way of getting across their messages to the
higher-ups. Another motive is to spread awareness about a company’s bad
practices.

One such example of cyber activism is the infamous attack on PayPal and
MasterCard. In 2010, a group of cyber activists who claimed to be part of
Anonymous executed a DDoS attack on PayPal in response to PayPal’s shutdown
of payment services to WikiLeaks. Cyber activism is expected to grow in the
coming years and affect business sales and revenues.
 6. AI and IoT in Cybercrime

AI goes both ways in cyberspace: it can both be a blessing and a curse. With the
advent of IoT devices, AI is predicted to commit more cybercrimes than actual
people in the year 2040. AI and IoT are gradually making things easier for
cybercriminals. Any device that can be connected to the Internet carries the risk
of getting hacked. And with the rapid growth of the technological
advancements in the AI aspect, IoT devices are facing security issues that seem
to have no solutions as of yet.

Even the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute
(UNICRI) have begun looking into the advanced understanding of AI applications
for criminal justice and crime prevention. But while AI could prevent and deter
crimes, the risk lies in the system that can pose a global security threat if left
alone with its machine-operated directives.
7. Supply Chain Attacks

While supply chain attacks are not the most common cybercrime, they are still
extremely damaging. These can occur when cybercriminals find a weakness or a
number of vulnerabilities in an organisation’s ecosystem, particularly through
third-party systems. This is fuelled by the sudden surge of digitalisation, the rise
in remote work, and the growing number of connected devices. Because of these
drivers, cybercriminals are able to exploit more entry points in the supply chain
(World Economic Forum, 2021).

A most damaging supply chain attack happened to Solar Winds in 2020. The
company deals in system management tools that are widely used by IT
professionals, the most popular of which is Orion NMS. Hackers exploited the
configurations of the software, particularly its integrations. They inserted
malware into SolarWinds’s servers, which was packaged as part of an update.
This effectively allowed the threat group to get inside the systems of all
organisations using Orion NMS, among which are the US Department of Defence
and 425 names in the US Fortune 500 (SANS Institute, 2020).
 8. Data Breaches

Data breaches happen daily, and it is one of the biggest cyber threats
on the web today. Every year, the number of data breaches continues
to increase. Just between January and September 2019, more than 7.9
billion data records were breached. This figure was a 33% increase
from 2018.

But while organisation’s have taken steps to better secure their data,
data breach incidents still increased in 2020. In the first quarter of
2020 alone, there was a 273% rise in incidents. From this alone, we
can surmise that data breaches are most likely going to continue and
may become more damaging in the coming years. (IdentityForce,
2020).
 9. Crypto jacking

Crypto jacking is threatening ransomware’s position as the most dangerous

form of a cyber attack. Malware developed to infect systems to mine for
cryptocurrency, crypto jacking is replacing ransomware on the watchlist of
cybersecurity analysts. Several studies also show that most recent malware
attacks today are designed specifically for crypto jacking, where the malware
infects a system with malicious code and then uses its CPU to mine for
cryptocurrency.

There are three reasons why crypto jacking will continue to thrive ahead:

1. The number of potential targets is in the billions. Many devices are

already infected and flying under the radar.
2. It’s direct payout for minimal effort. There is no need for additional steps
to get money, such as data brokers or via “crypto tumbling,” a process
similar to money laundering.
3. Crypto jacking is only one step removed from data exfiltration. Once a
foothold is established within environments, crypto jacking could easily
evolve into worm-able malware, piggybacking on advanced techniques. It
could also evolve into botnets for hire or data theft.

With cryptocurrency shaping today’s cyber threat environment, mining services

and currency exchanges are facing the risk of getting hacked. The ease of crypto
jacking and the wide availability of attack tools make crypto-mining malware a
regular among cybercrime future trends. It is also expected to provide a low-risk
revenue stream for cybercriminals.

Crypto jacking trends highlights

 Crypto jacking is a growing threat in cyberspace.

  Crypto mining malware are on their way to become a regular thing in the
future
 Crypto jacking creates a low-risk revenue stream for cybercriminals.

Most Popular IT Security Software

1. Norton Security. A powerful multi-OS and multi-device software built to

provide real-time protection against spyware, viruses, and cyber threats.
Read these Norton Security reviews to learn more about this platform’s
functionalities.
2. Cloud flare. Besides offering content delivery network (CDN) services,
Cloud flare is a powerful network security solution. Cloudflare
reviews show that this product is apt for protecting SaaS services, mobile
apps, APIs, and websites.
3. Avira Antivirus Server. A reliable antivirus solution that provides bank-
grade protection to business servers. Avira Antivirus Server reviews reveal
that ease-of-use and scalability are some of its strong points.
4. Malware bytes. A powerful protection solution designed to provide
 protection against ransomware, malware, and other cyber threats.
Read Malwarebytes reviews to find out more about this product.
5. Kaspersky Lab. Arguably the most popular IT security solution designed to
provide endpoint security. Read Kaspersky Lab reviews to learn more
about its multi-layered security, remote management, and fraud
management options.

10. Targeted Attacks

While targeted attacks are not exactly new in the cybercrime scene, it is no less
threatening than the existing types of cyberattacks. Targeted threats are crime-
ware designed for specific industries or corporations, and with its ability to
capture sensitive information, it continues to become a major concern for most
organisations.

In 2019, the Asia-Pacific region experienced the most targeted cyber attacks in
the corporate or internal network (75%). Meanwhile, though Latin America did
not suffer much from the same kind of cybercrime (25%), the region’s IT
environments were most hurt in the eCommerce sector (75%) (Trust wave,
2020). The following year, it was observed that Brazil was the most targeted
country in Latin America for cyberattacks, with 55.97% of users hit by
cybercriminals (Mondo en Lines, 2020)

Meanwhile, healthcare companies are emerging this year as one of the

industries often targeted by such malware. Newest research by Proof point US,
a California-based enterprise security solutions provider, found that about 77
percent of phishing emails were targeted the medical sector for the first quarter
of 2019. The cybercrime trends in healthcare involved the use of malicious links
disguised as regular emails.

Targeted attacks trends highlights

 The Asia-pacific region had to field the most targeted attacks on
corporate infrastructure in 2019.
 Latin America is most hurt by targeted attacks in the eCommerce sector.
 Brazil experienced the greatest share of cyberattacks in Latin America in
2020.
 11. Encrypted Communication Platforms

End-to-end encryption is one of the best ways to keep communication between

two points anonymous and totally difficult to trace. Thus, there is no wonder as
to why cybercriminals decided to shift to encrypted chatting platforms for
communication and commerce. With encrypted peer-to-peer chat platforms like
Jabber and WhatsApp, it’s harder for law enforcement to decrypt messages and
eavesdrop on the plans of cybercriminals.

These instant messaging programs give cybercriminals an advantage. By using

such a form of communication, the FBI finds it difficult, if not impossible, to
decrypt their messages containing the details of their cybercrime operations. As
such, governments are fighting for legal access to the data from tech companies
that provide such services. Some examples of these are Apple and Facebook.

Of course, while encrypted messaging has become a go-to for cybercriminals.

It’s important to note that many still use mainstream instant messaging apps.
Skype, for example, although not encrypted and as secure as other messaging
platforms, is still among the most popular and most preferred platforms of
cybercrime gangs around the world, according to FlashPoint’s study
of communications platforms used by financially motivated cybercriminals.
12. Bitcoin Popularity
As bitcoin becomes more popular, it’s also amplifying ransomware. Bitcoin has
also been reported as one of the most popular ransom payment methods to
elude law enforcement. And although other virtual currencies like Monroe see a
growth in interest, bitcoin still tops the list of cryptocurrencies encountered in
cybercrime investigations.

The value of bitcoin more than doubled in 2019. In the coming months, it could
rally even higher than the $12,902 level in June of the same year. And because
of its value, anonymity, and decentralised system, cybercriminals are naturally
drawn to it. It became the preferred currency of dark-net criminals and thus
increased the number of cryptocurrency malware. In 2017, Malware bytes, an
anti-malware software company, reported having to stop 250 million attempts
to infect PCs with coin-mining malware in just one month.
Bitcoin popularity trends highlights

 Bitcoin is the preferred currency of dark-net criminals.

 The popularity of bitcoin also drives the increase in coin-mining malware.
 In just one month, Malware bytes had to stop 250 million attempts to
infect PCs with coin-mining malware.
13. DDoS Attacks

By overloading a server with a maximum number of junk requests, DDoS attacks

can take down even the largest websites. Apart from its number, the
sophistication, complexity, and duration of DDoS attacks are also increasing and
becoming even more problematic. This is why Norton dubs DDoS attacks are one

of the most powerful weapons on the Internet.

For the first time, DDoS attacks breached the 10 million mark for annual attacks
in 2020. This figure is almost 1.6 million higher than the 2019 count. An IT
security organisation observed that the rate of DDoS attacks started increasing
in March of 2020, which coincides with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During that period, the month of May saw the most attacks with 929,000
recorded. Sectors most affected by these attacks are commerce, online learning,
healthcare, and broadband providers (NET-SCOUT, 2021). The surge in such
attacks can also be attributed to the sudden jump in digitisation or reliance on
online services for business continuity.
Distributed denial of access attacks trends highlights

 DDoS attacks remain as one of the most powerful weapons on the

Internet.
 At the height of the pandemic, the number of DDoS attacks increased
dramatically.
 The sectors that were most affected were essential to business and
education continuity during the lockdown.
 14. Outdated and Open-Source Vulnerabilities

While open-source software are a source of savings, especially for small

organisations, they are also a source of vulnerabilities. These are a favourite
gateway of cyber attackers and they even crawl the Internet continuously to
find those. To mount an attack, cybercriminals fingerprint OSS elements as well
as closed-source web software from providers like Microsoft or Oracle. Once
they discover the vulnerability, attackers will begin to exploit the systems that
run the vulnerable software. To prevent other cybercriminals from doing the
same thing, the ones that have entered the system would patch the
vulnerabilities.

In 2021, this is a trend that will be seen often, considering that there are many
new, cheap software in the market. While they may seem cost-effective, they
can hide vulnerabilities like open-source components that can be exploited by
cybercrooks easily. Thus, it is important that organisations ensure that they are
dealing with vendors that are transparent with the use of open-source elements
for active prevention.
Business email compromise trends highlights

 About $12 billion in domestic and international losses are attributed to

BEC scams.
 Manufacturing and construction firms are the top targets for BEC fraud.
 15. Social Engineering

Social engineering attacks can affect businesses of all sizes, and that is still true
in 2019, especially with the amount of trust businesses and individuals place on
online communication. Computer-based social engineering, which includes
phishing campaigns, baiting, and clicking on malicious links, remains prevalent
in today’s highly digital era. Even the best cybersecurity software
companies would admit that social engineering in cybercrime is still a major
concern.

The percentage of successful social engineering attacks rose from 71 percent in

2015 and 76 percent in 2016 to 79 percent in 2017. Moreover, it takes roughly
five months to detect a social engineering attack, which is why it’s one of the
most popular methods for data breach. 97 percent use social engineering, while
only three percent of data breach attacks involve malware.

Social engineering trends highlights

 In 2017, the percentage of successful social engineering attacks rose to 79

percent.
 It takes about five months before companies detect a social engineering
attack.
 Instead of malware, social engineering is used more for data breach.
16. RDP Attacks

Because of the rise of RDPs, this year saw a decline in automated attack
toolkits. Designed to exploit vulnerabilities in widely used software, automated
attack toolkits are now being replaced by RDP attacks. RDP credentials can give
attackers remote access to a corporate environment, which further leads to a
network search of intellectual properties or crypto-lock systems.
Thus, RDP is now becoming a common method for cybercriminals to gain access
to systems and data, with their targets usually small and medium-sized
businesses (SMBs). According to Beasley, about 71 percent of ransomware
attacks target SMBs, and RDP usually acts as an attack vector to further launch
a ransomware attack.

RDP attacks trends highlights

 RDP attacks are replacing automated attack toolkits.

 About 71 percent of ransomware attacks are through RDPs, and their
targets are SMBs.
 Cybercrime Trends to Watch Out For

As it is with the proverbial coin, there are two sides to cyberspace. Cyberspace is
a great place for commerce, societal advancement, and innovation. However,
the same place harbours hooks who are ready to pounce any chance they get.
Advanced technology and systems give an edge to businesses and organisations,
but it means newer and more advanced methods for cybercriminals to attack
too, leading to a marked increase in dangerous cybercrime trends.

Cybercrime presents the trickiest types of criminals to deal with. Armed with
sophisticated tools of the trade, they are getting more audacious every day,
threatening businesses of all sizes. Bigger r have deeper pockets for more

advanced security tools to face cyber threats, but small business enterprises are
not always so lucky. Thus, staying aware and vigilant at all times can go a long
way in preventing these cyberattacks from occurring, and it is also helpful to
know what IT security solutions are perfect to protect your site.

References:

1. AS (2020). Anonymous: Who are They and Why are They Threatening
Trump? AS
2. CDC. (2020). COVID-19-Related Phone Scams and Phishing Attacks. CDC
3. Cloud tic. (2020). Cybersecurity statistics in the first half of 2020.
4. IdentityForce. (2020). 2020 Data Breaches: The Most Significant Breaches
of the Year. IdentityForce
5. Info sec. (2020). Top 9 Cybercrime Tactics, Techniques and Trends in 2020:
A Recap.
6. Munro en Lines. (2020). Kaspersky: Businesses are the main target of
cyberattacks in Latin America.
7. Nets out. (2020). DDoS Attacks in 2020.
8. SANS Institute. (2020). What You Need to Know About the SolarWinds
Supply-Chain Attack. SANS Institute
9. Secure-list. (2020). IT Threat Evolution Q3 2020 Mobile Statistics.
10. Security Magazine. (2020). How Hackers are Using COVID-19 to Find
New Phishing Victims. Security Magazine
11. SonicWall. (2021). 2021 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report. SonicWall
12. Sophie. (2020). The State of Ransomware 2020.
13. Trust wave. (2020). 2020 Trust wave Global Security Report.
14. World Economic Forum. (2021). These are the Top Cybersecurity
Challenges of 2021. World Economic Forum
WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES OF CYBER CRIME?
Cyber crimes are categorised into three broad categories,
individual, property and government. Based on each category
of cyber crime, cybercriminals use different levels and types of
threats.

 Individual: This cyber crime category includes disseminating

malicious or illegal information via the internet and digital-
applications by one person. Cyber speaking, pornography
distribution, and trafficking are a few examples of this
category of cyber crime.
 • Property: cyber crime is similar to a real-life incident where a
criminal
keeps the bank or credit card information illegally. The hacker
steals an individual’s bank details to acquire money or makes
phishing scams online to obtain information from people.

 Government: It is the least frequent cyber crime, but it is the

most serious misconduct. A cyber crime against the government
is also regarded as Cyber Terrorism. Government cyber crime
involves the hacking of
websites, military websites, or the distribution of government
propaganda.
SQL INJECTIONS
SQL injection is a type of cyber crime that effectively employs malicious codes
and manipulates backend databases to access information that is not
intended to be displayed. These mostly involve private and sensitive data
items including the likes of user lists and customer details, among others.
SQLI can have long-term devastating effects such as deletion of tables,
unauthorised viewing of any user list, and even administrative access to
databases.
INSIDER THREATS
Not all of the network attacks are executed by outsiders. The inside attack is
a very common type of cyber crime. It is performed on a network or a system
by individuals who have authorised access to the same system.
Cyber Crime in India

Web world or cyberspace is a massive community of millions and billions of

users and websites. Also, people access it for different uses like shopping,
movies, music, video games, transactions, and e-commerce, etc.

In this Age of Technology and easy access to the internet, anyone can
easily reach it. Because of this fast pace growth from the previous decade.
Besides, the internet has opened a world of information on which anyone
can connect.

Due to, this the rate of crime especially the rate of Cyber Crime has
increased much fold. Moreover, the rate of circulation of data is also
increased much fold due to the higher speed of internet. Above all, due to
all these issues, the Cybersecurity has become a major concern for society.
Laws related to Cyber Crimes

To stop the spread of Cyber Crime and to safeguard the interest of

people the government has made several laws related to Cyber
Crimes. Also, these laws serve as protection against Cyber Crime.
Apart from that, the government has also introduced cyber cells in
police stations to counter the problem of Cyber Crime as fast as they
can.
HISTORY OF CYBER CRIME
In the 1970s, the malicious link to hacking was first documented when
early computerised phones became a target. Tech-savvy people called
‘Preachers,’ who were the first hackers, have found a way to make long-
distance calls through a series of codes by modifying software and
hardware. This incident made people aware that computer systems are
vulnerable to crime, and more complex systems are susceptible to cyber
crime.
IMPACT OF CYBER CRIME ON SOCIETY
Cyber crime has posed a huge threat to internet users by stealing
millions of information from users in recent years. It has also
caused a huge dent in the global economy. According to Gartner,
the global demand for Cyber Security is expected to hit $170.4
billion by 2022. 95% of Cyber Security violations occur because of
human error.
HOW TO FIGHT CYBER CRIME

Cyber crime is undoubtedly one of the biggest concerns in today’s digital

era, but there are many simple and effective online security available in
the market. Continuous development of new security initiatives and
strategies to keep pace with criminals is necessary; thus, it is imperative
to keep up with current developments in the Cyber Security domain.

Listed below are some of the ways to fight different types of cybercrime:
 Updating your operating system and software: The latest security
patches for your computer are only available if you keep your
software and operating system up to date.

 Using an updated version of Anti-virus software: Protecting your

system from threats is easy when you use anti-virus software that
scans, identifies, and removes potential threats before they become a
problem.

 Strong password: Ensure your logins are secure by using complex

passwords which are

 difficult to decipher, and they should not be written down anywhere.

 Do not open links or attachments in spam emails: Email attachments
in spam emails are a common vector for malware and other forms of
cybercrime to infect a computer. Also, If you receive spam emails or
visit untrusted websites, do not click on any links in them.
Do not share personal information: Always verify the phone line, email, or
the person you are speaking with before revealing any personal

information.
 Contact the companies directly if you notice suspicious requests from
anyone claiming to be calling on their behalf.

 Be mindful about the URLs (websites) you open: Check the URLs that
you’re visiting. Do not click on links that have URLs that are strange
or unfamiliar. Before making any financial transactions online, check
to see if your internet security software includes transaction security
functionality.

 Keep a check on your bank statements: Keep an eye on your bank

statements and query any unfamiliar transactions with the bank.
CONCLUSION
In this article, we talked about 16 different types of cyber crimes. If
you’re looking for an extensive course that can thoroughly guide you
about popular cyber crimes as well as help you learn offensive cyber
security techniques to safeguard systems, then Jigsaw’s Guaranteed
Placement* is the perfect course for you! It is designed to help learners
who aspire to become Cybersecurity Experts, master the skills and
techniques needed to kickstart their respective careers in this promising
domain.