01/15

CYBER
CRIME
What is Cybercrime?

Cybercrime is when an individual is using a

computer as a resource to committing
illegal acts online. Some of these crimes
include fraud, child pornography, violating
privacy or stealing personal identity.

Online Cybercrime has been increasingly

growing in modern society with the
growth of the internet cybercrimes have
increased significantly as well.

Cybercrime has caused businesses $4.35 million

dollars from data breaching in 2022
The most common threat businesses and
individuals face from cybercrime is “phishing”
where they pursue individuals into giving up
personal information or to download a virus onto
their computer
Between 2022-2023 an estimated 1 billion emails
were exposed which means every 1 of 5 internet
users are affected by phishing
 Categories of Cybercrime
The RCMP has broken down Cybercrime into two
different categories:

Technology-as-Target Technology-as-Instrument
Criminal offences targeting computers and other Criminal offences where the internet and information
information technologies. (Hacking to steal sensitive technologies are instrumental in the comission of a crime.
data, unauthorized use of a computer, denial of (fraud, identity theft, cyberbullying, human and drug trafficking,
service attack to online services, etc.) etc.)

Technology-as-target is considered to be pure forms of In Canada many organizations have suffered from
cybercrime. The RCMP has stated “Criminals find ways to cybercrime causing these organizations to lose a total
compromise these technologies and obtain or destroy personal
or sensitive information, or remotely access and infiltrate
of $1.5 billion dollars in 2017. Phishing and online fraud
computers, systems, system networks or mobile devices for a continue to be a huge issue in Canada, in 2021
variety of illegal activities” Canadians lost $100 million dollars due to online fraud.
Different types of Cybercrimes
Technology-as-target cybercrimes: Technology-as-Instrument:

Disturbed Denial of Service (DDos): Attacks by flooding

Carding Crimes: Carding Crimes is when the internet is used
targeted computer servers or websites with false to traffic and exploit personal and financial data (ex. Buying
requests until the online server is overwhelmed and and selling personal identity).
becomes broken and unable to work giving access to
the attackers to breach and destory important
information. Online Child Sexual Exploitation: The internet has
transformed and exacerbated criminal activity, criminals
hide behind fake identities and share sexual child
Botnet Operations: A Botnet involves a network of many exploitation material through private websites and online
computers that are remotely controlled by a control bulletin boards.
server. These botnets deploy malware to infect many
individuals personal computers to steal their
information without the individual noticing. Darknets: Darknets are online networks that provide users
with anonymous access through turning their data into
code. On these networks criminals are allowed to advertise
adn sell illegal product and services.
Cybercrime is on the Rise!
The number of cybercrimes are hard to estimate because many of them go unreported to law
enforcement. However in this statistic shows that Cybercrime is continuously increasing throughout the
years:

Although these statistics may be outdated, there are other

statistics to show the significant increase of cybercrime in
Canada. Between the years 2017 - 2021 reports of cybercrime
have increased by 153% (27,829 in 2017 and 70,288 in 2021).
Also mentioning that the reported crimes from 2012 - 2017 have
increased by 84%.

In today’s modern society with the advancements of

technology, cybercrime rates are only going to
continue to increase. With new technology coming out
every year it gives cyber criminals more efficient
access to committing cybercrimes. With how difficult
it is to estimate an actual number of how many acts of
cybercrime are being committed we can only assume
that the number of cyber crimes being committed
could be doubled.
 Cybercrime on the rise cont’d
After what we have discussed so far with discussing with the different categories and how cybercrime has been on the rise
in recent history. The RCMP was able to make three key observations on the categories of cybercrime:

1. Technology creates new opportunities for criminals: Online markets and internet-facing devices provide
the same opportunities and benefits for serious and organized criminal networks as they do for
legitimate buisness.

2. Cybercrime is expanding: Once considered the domain of criminals with specialized skills, cybercrime
activities have expanded to other offenders as the requisite know-how becomes more accessible

3. Cybercrime requires new ways of policing: The criminal exploitation of new and emerging technologies
- such as cloud computing and social media platforms, anonymous online networks and virtual currency
schemes - requires new policing measures to keep pace in digital era.
Cybercrime from a Law Enforcement Perspective
The RCMP considers cybercrime to be any sort of crime where the internet or
information technologies are involved in the moment when the criminal
offence has been commited. The RCMP uses the two different categories of
cybercrime to gain a new reach in understanding new cybercrimes and the
traditional activities that cybercriminals are enacting on. These categories
are also helpful to the RCMP to separate cybercrime incidental uses of
technology.

The RCMP has introduced many anti-cybercrime agencies that are

helpful in combatting cybercrime attacks. The agencies are called the
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre & National Child Exploitation Coordination
Centre, both of these agencies provide support to individuals who have
been affected by fraud or identity theft or sexual exploitation.
 How Law Enforcement Combats Cybercrime.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre & National Child RCMP Operations:
Exploitation Coordination Centre:
Operation Clean Slate: In 2013 the RCMP seized more than
80 physical servers to help reduce the spread of a botnet
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) Collects operation called “Citadel“ that targeted major financial
information on fraud and identity theft providing institutions in Canada that costed around $500 million dollar
information to Canadians affected by these scams. in global economic losses.
The CAFC uses this information in assisting the
RCMP in disrupting cybercrimes revolving around Operation Card Shop: In 2010, The RCMP assisted
fraud and identity theft. In recent years from 2021 international law enforcement partners to investigate
- 2023 the CAFC assisted in recovering over $6.5 carding crimes and detect individuals associated with this
million dollars. cybercrime activity. The two year operation led to suspects
criminal activity in Canada to arrest and extradite an
individual who has been evading capture from the United
The NCECC also known as National Child Exploitation states of America. This operation was also able to prevent
Coordination Centre is the point of contact for over $205 million dollars in global economic loss.
investigating online sexual exploitation of the youth.
The NCECC is the main organization that recieves
Operation Snapshot: In 2012, the RCMP took part in this
reports of sexual exploitation of children and provides
operation that focused on identifying a network in possession of
victims with knowledge of how sexual exploitation explicit child images. The investigation led to over 15 arrests of
works, how to avoid it and how to prevent sexual individuals in connection to various sexually based offences and
exploitation from happening. The NCECC works with the rescue of one child. A second operation snapshot was
the RCMP to help bring down and investigate online launched a year later which resulted in the rescue of two children
exploitation criminals. and the arrest of 22 individuals across Atlantic Camada
Sexual Abuse Materials
Actual + fictitous written, video,
audio and imaged depictions of
child sexual abuse (Child
Pornography)
Grooming/Luring
Using platforms for the purpose
of connecting with children for
the purpose of sexually
exploiting them

Made-to-Order Content
Ordering videos/images to suit
offenders’ preferences
 70% of known 90% of accused are
victims are girls boys/men, typically much
aged 12-17 older than their victims

Luring accounts for 77% In cases of distribution

of online sexual of intimate images, the
offences against average age of
children offenders is 15
 01 02 03 04
Prevention &
Pursuit, Disruption Protection Partnerships,
Awareness
and Prosecution Research & Strategic
Increasing prevention and Protecting victims from Support
Identifying,
awareness amongst further abuse
children/youth, parents,
apprehending and Research to Advance
prosecuting offenders Accelerated identification knowledge on OCSE
teachers, health workers
and removal of publicly Support National
Reducing the stigma of
available images Strategy Partners
disclosure
Providing support services Strategic policy
Supporting initiatives that
prevent risks of online for victims development
child sexual exploitation
(OCSE)
G7 Countries monitor exploitation and
abuse working group - deliver their action
plan to combat child sexual exploitation
and abuse.

Action plan works to “tackle online

violence against women and girls, but also
any child sexual exploitation or abuse
case”

Action plan was formed in 2021 at the peak

of COVID-19, as offenders invented new
ways to exploit minors.

Other international agreements include:

Universal Declaration on Human Rights
United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child
Convention on Cybercrime
 01 02 03

Ontarian Resources International

Canadian Resources
Resources

Boost Center & Youth Cybertip.ca INHOPE

Advocacy Center Project Arachnid NCMEC
Victim Services Ontario Need Help Now Internet Watch
Internet Child Victim Services Foundation
Exploitation Counselling Directory Thorn
Program
Cybercrime in Canada
AI, hacking, and scamming
 The dangers of A.I
Cybercrime was at an all time high in 2023, hacking, theft, and fraud being some of the
most common everyday crimes. Unfortunately, these crimes are predicted to worsen with
commonality and our steadily moving advancements in AI-allowing for people to commit
crimes without ever getting their hands dirty, and it isn't difficult to use.

AI in cybercrime as a whole is dangerous, there has been a recent surge regarding scam
callers imitating loved ones, pleading and begging for ransom money or bail. When in
reality, their loved ones are safe at home. With the use of A.I, a small snippet of someone's
voice is enough to create a whole digital dialogue for them, allowing these criminals to
manipulate loved ones and instill fear. Unfortunately, that isn’t the worst of A.I. There have
been multiple A.I sites created strictly for it’s ability to “undress” any photo. Photos of
unconsenting people, men, women, and children, are being displayed in provocative
circumstances.
A news clip from Good Morning America has recently gone viral for exposing the use of
A.I voice cloning in scam calls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfo2MMGZTvU
 The simple facts
Over 62000 cases of fraud are committed in Canada.

Scammers commonly use media like text messages, emails, facebook, ect. To provide links
that will penetrate a computer/cell phone's safety parameters, unlocking private
information and allowing access to accounts, personal information, and other victims.

It is also quite common for cybercriminals to create false websites requiring personal
information.

The most susceptible devices to infiltration are common desktops, and smartphones.

Over 2 million general crimes per year are committed in Canada, meaning that fraud
accounts for roughly 3.1% of those crimes.
 Prevention of A.I related cybercime
People have come up with their own ways to
avoid these issues over the last few months,
prominent techniques being avoidance,
swearing off of social media and simply
avoiding unknown phone calls. A simple
solution to avoiding and recognizing
hackers/scammers in a business settings is
easiest with auditors, and being on top of
financial information. Despite best efforts,
software updates and advancements make no
difference, as they are no match for the latest
A.I advancements.
 Reporting cybercrime
There are very low rates of actual reports regarding cybercrime, especially when it
comes to fraudulent messages, as most people delete said emails or messages without
thinking to report it, especially since it has become such an everyday occurrence for
many. This leads to an underreport of cybercrime statistics and halters law
advancements, which could help prevent it happening to more vulnerable people(ex
the elderly).
Text 7726 to report/forward scam messages.

Report fraudulent crimes to cybercenter, the Canadian anti-fraud center, local police,
banks, other account holders if needed.
 5 Types of Cybercriminals

#1 social engineer: fake an identity

#2 spear fisher: malicious emails appearing
legitimate
#3 the hacker: data breaches, stolen
passwords
#4 current or former employee: worker that
has insider access
#5 ransom artist: force businesses to pay
them, blackmailing
 3 Cybercrime categories

Individual: a single person doing

something on their own that is unlawful
on the internet
Property: bank or credit card info stolen
online to obtain access to funds/getting
personal information
Government: breaking into government
data bases
Cybercrime attacks

Malware: cyberattacks to cause harm such

as: viruses, worms and trojans
Phishing: clicking a link and asking to enter
personal info
Denial of service: sends data until it
overloads and fails
Man in the middle: eavesdropping on
information
Drive by downloads attack: Installing a
dangerous code on a device
 The rise of internet use and cybercrime

In 2019 89% of North America are using the

internet (Mikkola, 2024 p.450)
COVID-19 forced us to have even more
online contact with other people
The Internet has numerous different uses to
occupy our time
Increase in Internet use = Increase in
cybercrime (Mikkola, 2024 p.450)
 Cybercrime target population
Study on “Situational and Individual Risk Factors
for Cybercrime Victimization”

Children can often be victims of cybercrime

People between the ages of 15 and 25, people
with a risk-driven lifestyle, and peer pressure
are factors contributing to cyber victimization
Young adults who use social media (Mikkola et
al, 2024 p.462)

-Should parents supervise children that have

access to the internet?
-What age group do you think is more at risk for
cybercrime?
 Top 10
Cybercrime
Prevention Tips

Retrived fron the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

 #1: Use strong
passwords
Be sure to use different
usernames and passwords
for different accounts. Try
your best to not write them
down, I know it can be
difficult as we want to make
sure we remember them, but
this does create more risk.
Make the passwords more
complex. This can be done by
combining letters, numbers,
special characters,
ansdchange them on a
regular basis.
 #2: Secure your computer
Use anti- virus/ malware software:
Prevent viruses from infecting your computer by installing and regularly updating anti-
vrirus software. Some common/ proven effective ones are:
Bitdefender
Norton
Threat protection (by Nord VPN)
McAfee
(Most trusted antivirus protection software in Canada Retrieved from
https://ca.cybernews.com)

Activate your firewall:

Firewalls act as the primary barrier in cyber defense; they block connections to unknown or
bogus sites and will keep out some types of viruses and hackers.

Block spyware attacks:

Prevent spyware from infiltrating your computer by installing and updating anti-spyware
software.
 #3: Be Social-Media Savvy
Make sure your social networking
profiles (e.g. Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram,
etc.) are set to private. Check your
security settings. Be careful what
information you post online. Once it is
on the Internet, it is there forever!
 Be aware that your mobile device is
vulnerable to viruses and hackers.
Download applications from
trusted sources.
#4: Secure your mobile device

I conducted multiple searches and compiled three of the best mobile security applications
that frequently make it onto top-rated lists for their reliable features:
1. Norton Mobile Security
2. Bitdefender Mobile Security
3. McAfee Mobile Security
#5: Install the latest operating system updates
Keep your applications and operating system (e.g. Windows, iOS, iPadOS,
watchOS, tvOS, macOS, AOSP, Android One, Android Go, Android, TV Etc.) current
with the latest system updates. Turn on automatic updates to prevent potential
attacks on older software.
 Use encryption for your most sensitive
files such as tax returns or financial

#6: Protect records, make regular back-ups of all your

important data, and store it in another

your data
location.

Encryption: A way of converting information into a secure,

unreadable format to protect it from unauthorized access,
making it readable only with a specific key.
 #7: Secure your wireless network
Wi-Fi (wireless) networks at home are vulnerable to intrusion if they are not
properly secured. Review and modify default settings. Public Wi-Fi, a.k.a.
“Hot Spots”, are also vulnerable.

*Avoid conducting financial or corporate transactions on these networks.

 #8: Protect your e-idenity
Be extremely cautious when giving out personal information on the internet. Make
sure that websites are secure (e.g. when making online purchases) or that you’ve
enabled privacy settings (e.g. when accessing/using social networking sites).

Examples:
Name: Often a starting point for identity theft or phishing.
Address: Can verify identity for account breaches or unwanted physical access.
Phone Number: Used in two-factor authentication, making SIM-swapping attacks possible.
Financial Information: Allows fraud and unauthorized access to bank accounts.
Birthplace and Date: Common in security questions, making accounts easier to hack.
Personal Photos and Location Data: Metadata may reveal your location, risking tracking and scams.
Medical Information: Breaches can lead to identity theft and insurance fraud.
#9: Avoid being scammed
Always think before you click on a link or file of unknown origin. Don’t feel pressured by
any emails. Check the source of the message. When in doubt, verify the source. Never
reply to emails that ask you to verify your information or confirm your user ID or
password.

For example, if you receive an email with a link, ensure it is a safe link. Safe links typically
begin with
“https://” – The "s" stands for secure, meaning the site uses encryption to protect your
data. Avoid links starting with just "http://."
Also, look out for no extra characters or unusual extensions – Look out for long strings of
numbers, odd characters, or extensions like ".xyz" or ".cc," which are sometimes used in
scam links.
#10: Call the right person
for help
Don’t panic! If you are a
victim, if you encounter
illegal Internet content
(e.g. child exploitation) or
if you suspect a computer
crime, identity theft or a
commercial scam, report
this to your local police. If
you need help with
maintenance or software
installation on your
computer, consult with
your service provider or a
certified computer
technician.
 References
cyber.gc.ca
The Shocking Truth About Cyber Crime in Canada | Access Tech Live - YouTube
https://time.com/6344086/nudify-apps-undress-photos-women-artifical-intelligence/
Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2021
(photos)
AdobeStock_186885581-scaled.jpeg (2560×1696)
https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/1909673/crime_cyber_hacker_icon
https://truelist.co/blog/cybercrime-statistics/
Mikkola, M., Oksanen, A., Kaakinen, M., Miller, B. L., Savolainen, I., Sirola, A., Zych, I., & Paek, H.-J. (2024). Situational and
Individual Risk Factors for Cybercrime Victimization in a Cross-national Context. International Journal of Offender Therapy
and Comparative Criminology, 68(5), 449–467. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X20981041

https://ca.cybernews.com
https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/to-ot/tis-set/cyber-tips-conseils-eng.htm
Introduction to cybercrime - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS4ViqnjkC8
5 types of cybercriminals- YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAO_ur8CJvY

Canada, Public Safety. About Online Child Sexual Exploitation, 23 Aug. 2023, www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/chld-
sxl-xplttn-ntrnt/abt-nln-chld-sxl-xplttn-en.aspx.
Canada, Public Safety. “Actions to Combat Online Child Sexual Exploitation.” Public Safety Canada, 23 Aug. 2023,
www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/chld-sxl-xplttn-ntrnt/actns-nln-chld-sxl-xplttn-en.aspx.
Canada, Public Safety. “International Efforts and Cooperation.” Public Safety Canada, 23 Aug. 2023,
www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/chld-sxl-xplttn-ntrnt/ntrntnl-ffrts-en.aspx.
Canada, Public Safety. “Support for Victims and Survivors.” Public Safety Canada, 23 Aug. 2023,
www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/chld-sxl-xplttn-ntrnt/spprt-vctms-en.aspx.
 References Cont’d
Dennis, M (2024, September 19th) Cybercrime Britannica https://www.britannica.com/topic/cybercrime

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2014, December 16th) Cybercrime: an overview of incidents and issues in
Canada https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/cybercrime-an-overview-incidents-and-issues-canada#sec1

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2021, September 10th) Cybercrime defined https://www.rcmp-
grc.gc.ca/en/cybercrime-defined

Government of Canada (2024, October 21st) Official Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre Website
https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2019, October 10th) Online Child Sexual Exploitation https://www.rcmp-
grc.gc.ca/en/online-child-sexual-exploitation