Cybercrime: Current Status and Countermeasures

The current stage of development of society is characterized by the widespread introduction of modern telecommunication technologies into all spheres of people’s lives. Unfortunately, information technologies are increasingly being used by attackers for criminal purposes. The reason for this is the distinctive features of virtual space and technologies used to transmit and use information. The article provides a brief description of the state of cybercrime at the current stage of development, and also highlights the specific features of crimes committed using information technology, which ensure an increase in the total number, as well as a high level of latency. The authors pay special attention to such characteristics of cybercrime as transborder nature, the anonymity of the criminal and the high speed of dissemination of information among a large number of Internet users, facilitating the use of high technologies by attackers hoping to hide traces of crimes and remain undetected. In addition, a brief description of victims of cybercrime is given. The authors have identified the main trends in the development of new ways and methods of committing them, and proposed measures to prevent the increase in the number of crimes in cyberspace by informing citizens, increasing the level of information and financial literacy, and international cooperation for effective interaction in order to ensure cybersecurity.