How and Why Do Young People Become Cyber Criminals?

A residence outside of Oxford, England, was the location of the Cyber Criminals group Lapsus$’s mastermind. A 16-year-old was the alleged leader. From his mother’s house, he assisted in the fall of some of the biggest corporations in the world, including Microsoft. According to the BBC, the adolescent allegedly made $14 million from his assaults. Researchers arrested six additional teenagers after looking for other group members.

The Lapsus$ group is only the most recent illustration of young cybercriminals. A teen was detained by Canadian police in 2021 for using a SIM swap attack to steal around $36.5 million in cryptocurrencies. Ellis Pinsky, another kid, started stealing cryptocurrency when he was 15 and had amassed $100 million by the time he was 18.

Why and How Young People Attack

Understanding teenage cyber criminals motivations and journeys are the first steps toward reducing their activity. Of course, every person acts for a variety of reasons. Teenagers often begin hacking because it’s challenging and entertaining. Due to their opinions on certain problems, other youths turn to cybercrime. Another usual justification is financial, like in the case of Lapsus$.

Many teenagers erroneously cross the boundary into cybercrime as they engage in unethical activities and they become Cyber Criminals. Drew, an adolescent who appears in episode 112 of Darknet Diaries, describes his story. Drew first ran a cheap server for a video game, which led to the sale of stolen usernames.

While some teenagers begin with video games and piracy, new tools have opened up new avenues for minors to enter the world of cybercrime. With a 13-year-old becoming a multimillionaire by selling NFT art, cryptocurrency is soon becoming a gateway. Cybercrime involving NFTs, such as phishing, fake art, and crypto wallet cracking, is also on the rise. NFTs and associated cybercrime may both increase. Many teen cybercriminals will probably begin their careers using NFTs.

4 Ways for Stopping Teens from becoming Cyber Criminals

Teens who commit cybercrimes usually have a passion and skill for technology. Focusing on using their interest and skills in positive ways rather than negative ones is the first step in lowering the number of people who don the black hat. Teenagers may go toward the dark side since the media are usually unique attackers. What if the industry prioritized boosting recognition and awards for cybersecurity professionals? Teenagers will be able to see white hat positions or other legitimate careers in cyber defense in this way.

Other strategies for guiding teenagers toward moral behavior include:

1. Encourage ethical hacking. The greatest method for businesses to get ready for a true cyberattack is through simulations. As a result, they require ethical hackers to serve as the red team. Teenagers can see how preventing cybercrimes rather than committing them can provide them the same rush. Inform teenagers about how many former teen hackers are now utilizing their expertise to help defend against intruders if you stroll into the Bluescreen office in the UK. Maybe some other teenagers would like to take on the defense role. After all, being a defender involves significantly more talent than being an attacker. Defenders must be effective 100% of the time, but attackers only need to be successful 1% of the time, according to cybersecurity consultant Jay Hira.
2. Introduce digital badges and specializations. Digital badges are a good place to start for teenagers who aren’t yet prepared to obtain credentials. The abilities that are taught by these badges can lead to jobs. Middle and high schools can encourage students to achieve badges like Cybersecurity Compliance, System Administration, and Cybersecurity Basics. Teenagers who excel at these badges can combine them to obtain specialties, like the Cybersecurity IT Fundamentals Specialization, which can help them land a job in the sector. Teenagers can start on a positive route before they are exposed to the danger of committing cybercrimes by beginning this focus early in school.
3. Educate teens on the consequences of cyber crimes. Because they don’t see a victim, many teenagers don’t consider cybercrime to be a real crime. Teens learn about the consequences of their behavior by hearing about incidents where they received jail time and by having cybercrime education taught in schools. The definition of cybercrime and associated legislation should also be covered in education. That can assist potential hackers in recognizing when their actions are bordering on illegality.
4. Share career paths for cybersecurity. The money that may be made by engaging in cybercrime attracts a lot of teenagers. Educating them on the wealth of profitable professions available in cybersecurity can usually encourage them to stick to moral standards. Inform your children, both at school and at home, that many profitable cybersecurity jobs don’t require a four-year degree. Display the kinds of positions people can obtain with certifications. To be prepared for their next step when they graduate from high school, savvy pupils can even start getting certificates during that time. Teenagers are usually encouraged to remain interested in the advantages of cybersecurity by adults who demonstrate how they may utilize their talents to legally make money and have a highly successful career. You can also talk about the job path of ethical or white-hat hacking, which helps businesses evaluate their cybersecurity in a controlled setting.

To help with the lack of skilled personnel and a large number of unfilled positions, the cybersecurity sector needs more employees. Additionally, the business must do something to lessen the number of cybercriminals. Both objectives can be achieved by concentrating on educating teenagers, especially younger teenagers. The industry can acquire the people necessary to stop more sophisticated and high-volume attacks by encouraging careers in cybersecurity.

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