Most cybercrime falls under two main categories: Criminal activity that uses computers to commit other crimes. Cybercrime that targets computers often involves viruses and other types of malware. Cybercriminals may infect computers with viruses and malware to damage devices or stop them working.

Cybercrime ranges across a spectrum of activities. At one end are crimes that involve fundamental breaches of personal or corporate privacy, such as assaults on the integrity of information held in digital depositories and the use of illegally obtained digital information to blackmail a firm or individual.