Catching hackers can be a complex and time-consuming process. It depends on various factors such as the skill level of the hacker, the resources available to the investigators, and the sophistication of the attack.
Tracking hackers down is laborious and often takes a lot of time, collaboration, and investigative research. Specialist cybercrime units need to be assembled in order to retrieve and analyse any potential evidence. Encrypted files will need to be decrypted, deleted files recovered and passwords cracked.
The lifecycle of a cyber attack
So, how long does it take to detect a cyber attack? In IBM's 2022 data security report, it was reported that it took an average of 277 days – roughly 9 months – for businesses to identify and report a data breach.
Despite stricter cyber laws, only 4% to 5% of hackers get apprehended by law enforcement every year. Internet criminals may be the most difficult vigilantes to catch. This is for reasons including hiding behind fake identities and other advanced techniques, making it hard for authorities to track their crumbs.
If you are charged with federal hacking crimes under 18 U.S.C. § 1030, you could face up to a year in federal prison for lesser offenses, between 10-20 years for more serious offenses, and even life in prison if the hacking resulted in someone's death.
Most hackers will understand that they can be tracked down by authorities identifying their IP address, so advanced hackers will attempt to make it as difficult as possible for you to find out their identity.
Can hackers watch through your camera? If a hacker installs spyware on your phone then there is a good chance they will be able to access your camera and turn it on/off as they please. They may also be able to access any photos or videos you have previously taken.
Cyber criminals go to many lengths to hide their identity and cover their tracks. The use of proxy servers, VPNs and encryption can mean it is incredibly difficult to track down and bring a hacker to justice.
Only 5% of cybercriminals are apprehended for their crimes which demonstrates just how challenging it is for law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute these offenders.
Many online services require users to fill in personal details such as full name, home address and credit card number. Criminals steal this data from online accounts to commit identity theft, such as using the victim's credit card or taking loans in their name.
Although a hacker has to be relatively close to your phone — within 67 feet — to gain information, he or she can use a device that detects your phone's radio spectrum and tracks your keystrokes. As you can imagine, your keystrokes could give away highly-classified personal information.
Approximately 111.7 million Americans are hacked each year.
Records indicate that as many as one in three Americans have their data breached every year, totally roughly 111.7 million individuals.
Think: Name, birthday, SSN, phone number. If it can identify, locate, or contact you, it's PII. Odds are, this is what hackers are looking for. As stolen information goes, PII is fairly malleable to a cybercriminal's whims.
Unfortunately, some attackers want to steal your data just to prove that they can. They are not motivated by monetary gain, access to free resources or the ability to steal your users' identities. They simply want to prove to themselves – and their hacker friends, perhaps – that they can break past your defenses.
One of the biggest hacks in history is the Equifax data breach that happened in 2017. Equifax, a credit reporting agency, had several security lapses that enabled attackers to access sensitive PII, date of birth, social security numbers, address, driver's license numbers, etc., of over 143 million customers.
Fake W.A.P.
A hacker can use software to impersonate a wireless access point (W.A.P.), which can connect to the 'official' public place W.A.P. that you are using. Once you get connected to the fake W.A.P., a hacker can access your data. To fool you, the hacker will give the fake W.A.P.
The biggest motivation is often financial gain. Hackers can make money by stealing your passwords, accessing your bank or credit card details, holding your information to ransom, or selling your data to other hackers or on the dark web.
Also commonly referred to as camfecting, webcam hacking is a process of remotely accessing a camera. Hackers achieve this by distributing malware through phishing attacks. Feel like your webcam has been hacked?
It's virtually impossible to detect without a powerful antivirus. Can a hacker access my computer camera, microphone, and screen? Yes. Cybercriminals use malware like spyware to remotely access and control your camera, microphone, and screen.