WORLD CYBERCRIME INDEX (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Cyber Security)

Context: After three years of extensive research, an international team of researchers has assembled the inaugural 'World Cybercrime Index'.

World Cybercrime Index

• About: It is a tool that ranks nations based on their significance as sources of cybercrime, providing insights into global cyber threats.
• Development and Collaboration: Developed through a collaboration between the University of Oxford and UNSW Canberra, the World Cybercrime Index aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of cyber threats.
• Data Gathering Methodology: The index's data is sourced from a survey of 92 prominent cybercrime experts worldwide, who are actively engaged in intelligence gathering and investigations within the cybercrime domain.
• Scope and Categorization: The index evaluates approximately 100 countries, categorizing them based on various cybercrime types, including ransomware, credit card theft, and scams.
• Key Findings:

oRussia leads the index, with Ukraine, China, the USA, Nigeria, and Romania following closely.

oIndia occupies the 10th position in the rankings, indicating its significant involvement in cybercrime.

oSpecific cybercrime types are often associated with certain countries, such as data and identity theft being linked to the United States, and technical product-related crimes to China.

oRegional Specializations: India is identified as a "specialist" in scams, while Romania and the US are noted for both high-tech and low-tech crimes. India is deemed a "balanced hub," focusing on mid-tech crimes.

oIdentified Cybercrime Categories: Major categories of cybercrime include technical products and services, attacks and extortion, data and identity theft, scams, and cashing out or money laundering involving illegitimate virtual currency.