7 tips from cybercrime experts to stop hackers in their tracks

Hacking is big business online. There are two big reasons why people get hacked: Flaws in software and flaws in human behaviour. You cannot do much about coding vulnerabilities, but you can change your own behaviour and bad habits.

“Computers are just like guns back in the olden days,” says hacker Jayson E Street. “Criminals used guns because it was easy to commit a crime. Well, computers have made it really easy to commit crimes.”

Euronews spoke to a set of experts to see how hackers are operating and what you can do to combat them.

Here are the steps you can take to protect yourself online:

Who are the hackers?

Not all hackers are bad. There are Black Hat hackers – the cybercriminals – and so-called White Hat hackers working within the ethical and corporate space. Grey Hat hackers operate within both realms. White Hat hackers can be used by companies and individuals to help identify and resolve security risks.

Crime and intelligence analyst Mark T Hofmann says most hackers operate anonymously making their numbers hard to track, but he believes that 90 per cent of hackers are male, around 80 per cent are under 30, and 60 per cent started hacking at an early age, between 10 and 15 years old.

"Most of them are well-educated and have above-average intelligence. They do not necessarily need the money," says Hofmann. For these hackers, their motivation is beating the system.

Hofmann says: "[They] could just work for Google or any Silicon Valley company if they have good skills, so why do they commit crimes? Most crimes are about money, but where there’s also trade involved, we see thrill-seeking behaviour."

Whether motivated by money or thrills, data shows that cybercrime is on the rise. In 2020, the FBI collected information on for