When most people think of cybercriminals, they imagine a shady adult in a dark room working diligently to access someone’s bank account. What most don’t imagine, however, is that cyber crimes can also be committed by children. It might sound far fetched, but it happens more than you might think. Here’s what you need to know.

Ease of Access

The internet is more prevalent today than it ever has been since its creation. Kids are active online for school activities, gaming, and just browsing the web. With the invention of smartphones replacing flip phones of the past, kids today also have access to the internet right in their pockets.

The majority of these children will never commit an internet crime, instead using their access for fun or staying connected with friends. However, there are plenty of scenarios where children become cybercriminals themselves, and it’s easier than you might think.

A New World of Crime

Spray painting a building and shoplifting still happen, but the powerful computers found in homes today give children access to higher level crimes. Stealing credit card numbers, for instance, happens to be the most common computer crime among minors. Pirating copyrighted content, like music or movies, is also high on the list.

With their ease of access to the internet and having grown up with this technology all their lives, children are also more adept in its use. What were once rare skills for cybercriminals in the 1980s are now simple tasks for those who know their way around a modern PC. While that doesn’t mean your child’s ability to set up the family computer makes them a hacker, it does show that getting into the world of computer crimes is easier than ever.

Hiding Behind a Screen

Social media and other sites also make it incredibly easy for anyone to pretend to be anyone else online. In this regard, children can masquerade as adults in the online world and gain access to shady sites with ease. While most might take advantage of this to watch R or X rated movies, the potential to fall into truly criminal activity is also possible.

Even more worrisome is the ability for children to fall victim to predatory criminals. Pretending to be an adult online, kids can access chat rooms with strangers who might not all have good intentions. If you’ve ever watched Dateline, then you know how scary this reality is.

The Reality

In a Scholastic Inc. poll of 47,235 children attending either elementary or middle school, 48% did not believe hacking was a crime. Another study showed that 34% of university graduates pirated copyrighted materials. It’s unlikely that your children will become major cybercriminals, hacking into financial institutions or stealing credit cards, but they are likely to commit some form of cybercrime. If your child is facing charges, they can be tried as adults in many cases. Your best bet is to hire skilled legal aid like this computer crimes attorney in Boulder. If you’re unsure about how safe your child is with their online activities, then it’s time to have a talk with them about the seriousness of computer crimes and the charges they could face.

Ease of Access

The internet is more prevalent today than it ever has been since its creation. Kids are active online for school activities, gaming, and just browsing the web. With the invention of smartphones replacing flip phones of the past, kids today also have access to the internet right in their pockets.

The majority of these children will never commit an internet crime, instead using their access for fun or staying connected with friends. However, there are plenty of scenarios where children become cybercriminals themselves, and it’s easier than you might think.

A New World of Crime

Spray painting a building and shoplifting still happen, but the powerful computers found in homes today give children access to higher level crimes. Stealing credit card numbers, for instance, happens to be the most common computer crime among minors. Pirating copyrighted content, like music or movies, is also high on the list.

With their ease of access to the internet and having grown up with this technology all their lives, children are also more adept in its use. What were once rare skills for cybercriminals in the 1980s are now simple tasks for those who know their way around a modern PC. While that doesn’t mean your child’s ability to set up the family computer makes them a hacker, it does show that getting into the world of computer crimes is easier than ever.

Hiding Behind a Screen

Social media and other sites also make it incredibly easy for anyone to pretend to be anyone else online. In this regard, children can masquerade as adults in the online world and gain access to shady sites with ease. While most might take advantage of this to watch R or X rated movies, the potential to fall into truly criminal activity is also possible.

Even more worrisome is the ability for children to fall victim to predatory criminals. Pretending to be an adult online, kids can access chat rooms with strangers who might not all have good intentions. If you’ve ever watched Dateline, then you know how scary this reality is.

The Reality

In a Scholastic Inc. poll of 47,235 children attending either elementary or middle school, 48% did not believe hacking was a crime. Another study showed that 34% of university graduates pirated copyrighted materials. It’s unlikely that your children will become major cybercriminals, hacking into financial institutions or stealing credit cards, but they are likely to commit some form of cybercrime.If your child is facing charges, they can be tried as adults in many cases. Your best bet is to hire skilled legal aid like this computer crimes attorney in Boulder. If you’re unsure about how safe your child is with their online activities, then it’s time to have a talk with them about the seriousness of computer crimes and the charges they could face.