Computer crime - cybercrime - is directed against the assets of the potential victim or against the person themselves. Forms of computer crime include the distribution of malware, often with the aim of stealing data, online violence, sexualized violence, online fraud and digital blackmail.
In addition to commercial enterprises, private individuals are also the focus of cyber criminals. Children, young people and the elderly are particularly at risk because they are highly vulnerable. Vulnerabilities due to security gaps in the computer system and personal online usage behavior are the main points of attack for criminals.
The weakest link in the security chain is usually the internet user themselves. The automated exploitation of security gaps such as vulnerabilities in the web browser or operating system without user interaction, email download opening infected attachments in the email or. Online violence describes forms of digital violence in which the victim is deliberately belittled, blackmailed and threatened or attacked. These can be acts of violence that are recorded using a cell phone camera and published and disseminated via various social media channels.
Cyberbullying is the insulting, exposing, threatening or harassing of a person using a computer or smartphone over a longer period of time. Cyberbullying can include various criminal offenses - such as insult, defamation, slander, breach of confidentiality, stalking, coercion, blackmail and violation of the right to one's own image. Cyberstalking is the continuous harassment and stalking in virtual space against the will of another person. This also includes sexual harassment.
Cyber grooming is the targeted initiation of sexual contact with minors via the internet. The perpetrators pretend to be children or young people of the same age in chats or online communities in order to initially gain the trust of the minors and then manipulate them. Their aim is usually to meet the underage victims in the "real" world and abuse them. The perpetrators can often persuade the minors to send them revealing self-portraits beforehand.
