Such groups are loosely organized and may employ

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“ The 21st century digital criminal is best described as a ruthlessly efficient entrepreneur or CEO operating in a highly sophisticated and rapidly evolving black market... This is a CEO unfettered by regulators and morals,” warns a recent report by KPMG and BT, “Taking the Offensive.”

many contractors. Some will be experts in developing hacking tools and finding vulnerabilities, others will carry out the attack, and others will launder the money. At the center of the web is a cybercrime boss who comes up with ideas, defines targets, and maintains contacts.

These groups have the ability to carry out attacks against banks, law firms, and other large companies. They can commit fraud on behalf of a CEO, or simply steal important files and offer to ransom them (or sell them to unscrupulous competitors).

According to the 2015 Internet Organised Crime singapore whatsapp data by the EU police service Europol, the tools and technologies of organised crime and state-sponsored hackers now overlap, with “both categories using social engineering, tailored malware and open-source crimeware.” Organised cybercrime groups are also increasingly carrying out long-term, targeted attacks rather than random, non-targeted campaigns, Europol reports.

When governments use a technology, it usually ends up in the hands of serious organized criminals within 18 to 24 months. “One of the challenges for the average company is that the adversary is becoming more sophisticated because they can access more technology than they could in the past,” said George Quigley, a partner in KPMG’s cybersecurity practice.

And it’s not just big companies that are at risk. “As a small business owner, you could be forgiven for thinking, ‘I’m not one of those guys, why would anyone want my network?’ But you’re part of someone else’s supply chain,” Emm said.

Hacktivists