IYCRC SUMMER RESEARCH PROJECT 2026
Prepared By: Komal Kumari
Email: kumarikomal7715@gmail.com
Submission Date: 24 July 2026.
Crime used to be defined by a location – a street, a house, a shop. That's just not the case these days. The more that life spiraled online, the more criminals followed suit, and they discovered new methods of committing crimes, all without ever rising from their seats. Cybercrime is one of the world's fastest-growing forms of crime and it affects everyone - from individuals to banks to corporations to governments (Wall, 2007; Jaishankar, 2011). Identity theft, online fraud, hacking, cyberbullying, ransomware, digital terrorism — all of these have altered the definition of criminal behavior (Clarke & Cornish, 1985). Because of this shift, criminology can't stay focused only on traditional street crime anymore. To answer these questions, the field has been forced to grow to examine the nature of cybercriminals, their motives, who becomes a victim, and how it can all be avoided.
In simple terms, cybercrime is any type of criminal activity that is conducted using a computer, digital device or the Internet. What makes it different from a "normal" crime is that it doesn't respect borders. An offender may be in one country and victimise thousands of people in another and never meet any of them. That distance is one of the temptations to the offender; it makes them feel safe, less risk, less guilty. It requires criminals to have fake identities, encrypted messaging, malware and social engineering to obtain information that they would otherwise not give away (Jaishankar, 2011).
Cybercrime is not a single problem. Much of it is about the amount of life that's happening online these days — banking, shopping, socializing, communicating. All of those activities can be an opening for somebody who wishes to make use of it. That's compounded by weak cyber security practices: passwords that are generally reused, software that's generally not updated and a lack of knowledge about how these attacks actually work. Others are affected worse than others. Young people, the elderly and small businesses are targeted since they are considered to have weaker defenses. When it comes to motive, money is the top reason for most offenders — however, revenge, politics, ideology, and even for personal satisfaction appear as motives for offending cited by offenders (Wall, 2007).
Cybercrime is typically divided into two categories. Firstly, "cyber-dependent" crime such as hacking, malware and denial-of-service attacks, which "literally" cannot exist without the help of computers (Wall, 2007). The second one is ‘cyber-enabled’ crime which includes crimes that exist outside the internet but are facilitated by it, such as fraud, harassment, trafficking and the like (Yar & Steinmetz, 2019). This distinction isn't just academic hair-splitting. It actually does matter because it influences the way researchers attempt to gather information on the prevalence of these crimes, the way police allocate their resources and the way legislators draft laws that can keep up with rapidly changing technology.
There are challenges when researching cybercrime and that is part of the reason why you stick to the statistics that you can find from official sources.It is difficult to study cybercrime because official statistics only show part of the picture. Many victims never report what has happened to them, either because they do not realize that a crime has taken place, or because they feel embarrassed or because they think that the police are incapable of doing anything about an international crime. (Holt et al., 2018) This discrepancy between actual crime and reported crime is sometimes referred to as the "dark figure" of cybercrime, and is the why surveys and industry reports are important in addition to official crime data. Despite that uncertainty, virtually all of the evidence on the record suggests this: Cyberattacks have been increasing in both number and sophistication since the dawn of the Internet 20 years ago (Broadhurst, 2006).
Identity theft is, as the name implies, when someone steals another person's identity and typically uses it to obtain money. People commit offenses with this information using phishing emails, fake websites, data breaches, or purchasing stolen information from illegal websites online. With it, they can be able to open up bogus accounts, buy items that they don't own, or even file bogus tax returns. Online fraud is a larger category, such as auction fraud, romance fraud, investment schemes and even business email compromise, which are all more or less straightforward and do not require any technical expertise, only convincing a person to trust the wrong person (Wall, 2007).
Hacking is defined as accessing into a computer system or network without authorization. There are many different reasons for this. Some hackers are looking for cash and will either steal data or drop ransomware to acquire it. Some are simply curious, or, they want to show that they have the capability of doing something technically outstanding. Others do so for political or ideological motives. The hacking communities are not just made up of criminals, and hacking has a more nuanced definition than is often given - a criminology researcher would argue that one is a skill, while the other is a status (Holt, 2007).
Ransomware functions by encrypting data or systems on a victim's machine and holding them hostage until a ransom is paid — typically in cryptocurrency — which is usually irrelevant to the victim. In recent years, what has made it even worse is the concept of making malware ‘as-a-service’: the people who create it essentially rent it out to others, and allow themselves a slice of the profits. That situation has made ransomware more accessible to criminals and fueled a recent surge in attacks on hospitals, schools and local governments (Holt et al., 2018).
Crime had its place – a street, a house and a shop. These days, that's not the case. The more that life spiraled online, the more criminals followed suit, and they discovered new methods of committing crimes, all without ever rising from their seats. Cybercrime is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world and it impacts on all of us - from individuals to banks to corporations to governments (Wall, 2007; Jaishankar, 2011). The definition of criminal behavior has been transformed by identity theft, online fraud, hacking, cyberbullying, ransomware and digital terrorism (Clarke & Cornish, 1985). This change is making it impossible for criminology to remain solely focused on street crime. To answer these questions, the field has been forced to grow to examine the nature of cybercriminals, their motives, who becomes a victim, and how it can all be avoided.
In simple terms, cybercrime is any type of criminal activity that is conducted using a computer, digital device or the Internet. The difference between this type of crime and a "normal" crime is that it doesn't recognize borders. The offender could be in one country and victimise thousands of people in another country, without ever having met them. That distance is one of the temptations to the offender; that way he or she feels safe, less risk, less guilty. It necessitates criminals to have fake identities, encrypted messaging, malware and social engineering to acquire data that they would not otherwise provide (Jaishankar, 2011).
Cybercrime is not "one crime. Much of it is on the amount of life taking place on the internet these days — banking, shopping, socializing, communicating. All of those activities can be an opening for somebody who wishes to make use of it. That's on top of weak cyber security practices: generally the same passwords, generally not updated software and no understanding on how these attacks work. Some are worse affected than others. Young people, the elderly and small businesses are targeted since they are considered to have weaker defenses. In terms of motive, money is the primary motivation of most offenders – although revenge, politics, ideology and even for personal satisfaction are mentioned as motives for offenders (Wall, 2007).
Generally cybercrime can be classified into two groups. Firstly, “cyber-dependent” crime, for example, hacking, malware and denial of service attacks, “literally” cannot happen without the use of computer systems (Wall, 2007). The second one is ‘cyber-enabled’ crime which refers to crimes that take place off-line, but are aided by the internet, for example fraud, harassment, trafficking and others (Yar & Steinmetz, 2019). This is not a simple academic hairsplit. Actually it does because it affects how researchers try to measure the occurrence of these crimes, how police deploy their resources and how legislators make laws that can keep pace with the constantly evolving technology.
It isn't easy researching cybercrime, and that's why you stick to statistics that you can glean from official sources.The study of cybercrime is challenging due to the fact that official data only reflects a portion of the truth. Many victims never report what has happened to them because they don't realize that a crime has taken place or because they're embarrassed, or because they are convinced that the police are unable to do anything about a crime committed overseas. This difference between the number of crimes that are committed and the number of crimes that are reported is sometimes called the “dark figure” of cybercrime and why it is important to conduct surveys and industry reports in addition to official crime data (Holt et al., 2018). Yet, all but a few of the pieces of evidence submitted to the record show this: Cyberattacks have not only grown in number and sophistication since the creation of the Internet 20 years ago but they are on the rise (Broadhurst, 2006).
As the name suggests, identity theft involves the theft of another person's identity, and it's usually for the purpose of obtaining money. This information is used to help people commit offences through phishing emails, fake websites, data breaches or by buying information from illegal websites online. By using it, they can be able to open up fake accounts, purchase goods that are not theirs or even submit fake tax returns. Online fraud can also occur, this includes auction fraud, romance fraud, investment schemes and business email compromise, which are all more or less simple, but all require the recipient to trust the wrong person (Wall, 2007).
Hacking is defined as accessing into a computer system or network without authorization. The reasons are so many that can be given them. Some hackers are looking for cash and will either steal data or drop ransomware to acquire it. Some are simply curious, or, they want to show that they have the capability of doing something technically outstanding. Some people do it for political or ideological reasons. The hacking communities are not only composed of criminals and hacking is more complex than it sounds: A criminology researcher would argue that the word hacking is a skill and the other word a status (Holt, 2007).
Ransomware works by scrambling the data or a system on the victim's machine and demanding a ransom, typically in cryptocurrency that is of no value to the victim. What has made it even worse in recent years, though, is the idea of making malware ‘as-a-service’: the makers of malware basically rent it out to others and pocket a tidy sum of the profits. That has created an environment that is becoming more convenient for ransomware actors and led to a recent spate of attacks on hospitals, schools, and local governments (Holt et al., 2018).
There was a place for crime – a street, a house and a shop. These days, that's not the case. With more life going on online, the more criminals followed suit, and the more ways they found to commit crime – all without ever getting out of their seats. Cybercrime is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world and it impacts on all of us - from individuals to banks to corporations to governments (Wall, 2007; Jaishankar, 2011). Identity theft, online fraud, hacking, cyberbullying, ransomware and digital terrorism (Clarke & Cornish, 1985) have changed the definition of criminal behavior. This shift is making it increasingly difficult for criminality to be a narrowly focused discipline, confined to street crime. The field has expanded to address these questions, and has been forced to look at the nature of cyber criminals, their motives, who becomes a victim, and how it can all be avoided.
In simple terms, cybercrime is any type of criminal activity that is conducted using a computer, digital device or the Internet. The main difference between this kind of crime and a “normal” crime is that it has no boundaries. The offender may be in one country, and victimise thousands in another country, without meeting them. That distance is one of the temptations to the offender; that way he or she feels safe, less risk, less guilty. It necessitates criminals to have fake identities, encrypted messaging, malware and social engineering to acquire data that they would not otherwise provide (Jaishankar, 2011).
Cybercrime is "not one crime. Much of it depends on the amount of life that's going on online these days — banking, buying, socializing, communicating. All the activities may be a catalyst for someone who wants to use it. That's on top of weak cyber security practices: generally the same passwords, generally not updated software and no understanding on how these attacks work. Some will be more severely affected than others. Young people, the elderly and small businesses are targeted since they are considered to have weaker defenses. Looking at the motive, the motive of most offenders is money (Wall, 2007) – although revenge, politics, ideology and even for personal satisfaction are mentioned as motives for offenders is also something that is important to take into consideration.
Generally cybercrime can be classified into two groups. Firstly, “cyber-dependent” crime, for example, hacking, malware and denial of service attacks, “literally” cannot happen without the use of computer systems (Wall, 2007). The second one is ‘cyber-enabled’ crime which refers to crimes that take place off-line, but are aided by the internet, for example fraud, harassment, trafficking and others (Yar & Steinmetz, 2019). But not a trivial academic parsing of hairs. Actually it does as it impacts how researchers attempt to measure the incidence of these offenses, how police resources are used, and how legislation is created that can keep up with the ever-changing technology.
It isn't easy researching cybercrime, and that's why you stick to statistics that you can glean from official sources.It's difficult to study cybercrime because the numbers can only tell part of the story. Many victims never report what has happened to them because they don't realize that a crime has taken place or because they're embarrassed, or because they are convinced that the police are unable to do anything about a crime committed overseas. In some cases the gap between the number of crimes that are committed and the number that are reported becomes known as the “dark figure” of cybercrime and the reasons for conducting surveys and industry reports in addition to official crime data (Holt et al., 2018). Yet, all but a few of the pieces of evidence submitted to the record show this: Cyberattacks have not only grown in number and sophistication since the creation of the Internet 20 years ago but they are on the rise (Broadhurst, 2006).
As the name implies, identity theft is the taking of someone else's identity – typically, for the intent of money. It is used to assist individuals to commit offences via phishing email, fake sites, data breaches or purchasing information from illegal sites online. By using it, they can be able to open up fake accounts, purchase goods that are not theirs or even submit fake tax returns. There is also online fraud which can involve any of the following: Auction Fraud, Romance Fraud, Investment Schemes, and Business Email Compromise, all of which are more or less complex, but all require the victim to trust the wrong person (Wall, 2007).
Hacking is defined as accessing into a computer system or network without authorization. The reasons are many that can be proferred to them. Some hackers are seeking to make money and will either be able to steal data or drop ransomware to get it. Some are simply curious, or, they want to show that they have the capability of doing something technically outstanding. Others for political and/or ideological purposes. The hacking communities are not only composed of criminals and hacking is more complex than it sounds: A criminology researcher would argue that the word hacking is a skill and the other word a status (Holt, 2007).
Ransomware operates by encrypting data or a system on the victim's computer and then holding it for ransom – usually in cryptocurrency that is worthless to the victim. But in recent years what has made it even worse is that the idea of malware ‘as-a-service’ has come about; that is, the developers of malware simply rent it out to other people and enjoy a healthy share of the profits. This has made it easier for the ransomware attackers and caused an uptick in the number of ransomware attacks against hospitals, schools, and local governments (Holt et al., 2018).
References
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Clarke, R. V., & Cornish, D. B. (1985). Modeling offenders' decisions: A framework for research and policy. Crime and Justice, 6, 147-185.
Cohen, L. E., & Felson, M. (1979). Social change and crime rate trends: A routine activity approach. American Sociological Review, 44(4), 588-608.
Holt, T. J. (2007). Subcultural evolution? Examining the influence of on- and off-line experiences on deviant subcultures. Deviant Behavior, 28(2), 171-198.
Holt, T. J., Bossler, A. M., & Seigfried-Spellar, K. C. (2018). Cybercrime and Digital Forensics: An Introduction (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Jaishankar, K. (2011). Cyber Criminology: Exploring Internet Crimes and Criminal Behavior. CRC Press.
Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2015). Measuring cyberbullying: Implications for research. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 23, 69-74.
Wall, D. S. (2007). Cybercrime: The Transformation of Crime in the Information Age. Polity Press.
Yar, M., & Steinmetz, K. F. (2019). Cybercrime and Society (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
