Cyber-based crime has different motivators, different methodologies, and different targets, but most cyber criminals are financially motivated fraudsters who use the Internet to access data and facilitate their main objective: to make a profit.
As personal cyber security systems have become more robust and user-friendly, it has become harder for financially-motivated hackers (FMHs) to collect the data they need. Targeting only one individual at a time, breaking through each unique security system, and then committing a fraud on that one target with no guarantee of success is not a good return on investment or time.
Therefore, FMHs like volumes of data from which they can attempt mass fraud schemes, tweaking each attempt to ensure the highest level of success. As well as holding large volumes of data, the ideal target will usually have three main attributes:
- Limited cyber security systems in place
- Full access to the system or network on which they are based
- IT support staff who are just that, “support” rather than security focused.
Professional services firms such as lawyers, accountants, consultants and wealth managers
