Crime Science and the Internet Battlefield: Securing the Analog World from Digital Crime

The 'crime' part of crime science tends to have a much broader meaning than its legal definition and includes such deeds as deviance, disorder, antisocial behavior, acts of terrorism, and offenses occurring in cyberspace. These latter acts are not usually defined as cybercrimes in the popular sense of the word, unless one uses a broader definition that describes cybercrime as behavior in which computers or networks are a tool, a target, or a place of criminal activity. It is very important to distinguish between the popular perception of what cybercrime is and its larger and more modern form and capacity. The motivation behind the use of cyberspace for illegal purposes is straightforward: it is an inexpensive instrument that is readily available, thus it lets criminals prepare and commit their crimes with limited effort and reduced risk. Moreover, for a new generation of offenders, it is already a natural part of their daily lives as well as the number one source of information and data.