Cybercrime: Conceptual Issues for Congress and U.S. Law Enforcement

Twenty-first century criminals increasingly rely on the Internet and advanced technologies to further their criminal operations. These criminals can easily leverage the Internet to carry out traditional crimes such as distributing illicit drugs and sex trafficking. In addition, they exploit the digital world to facilitate crimes that are often technology driven, including identity theft, payment card fraud, and intellectual property theft. Cybercrimes have economic, public health, and national security implications, among others. For over three decades, Congress has been concerned about cybercrime and its related threats. Today, these concerns often arise among a larger discussion surrounding the federal government's role in ensuring U.S. cyber security. Conceptualizing cybercrime involves a number of key elements and questions that include where do the criminal acts exist in the real and digital worlds (and what technologies are involved in carrying out the crimes), why are malicious activities initiated, and who is involved in carrying out the malicious acts?

Author: Congressional Research Service

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Publication Date: Jan 15, 2015

Number of Pages: 32 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 1507735502

ISBN-13: 9781507735503