Cybercrime is a problem, however it is not even among the top-ten dangers that affects the average person. With the exception of the weakness in some Windows computers, the average person never experiences a big cybercrime problem. This article is my opinion, and not legal advice. I am a judgment broker, and am not a lawyer. If you ever need any legal advice or a strategy to use, please contact a lawyer.

According to a past report from the United States Department of Justice, the most commonly (federally) charged cases that involve cybercrimes include:

17 U.S.C. Section 506 (a) 18 U.S.C. Section 2319: Unauthorized Recording of a Motion Picture (Camcording).

17 U.S.C. Section 1201 (a)(1)(A), 1204(a): Commercial Theft of Trade Secrets.

18 U.S.C. Chapter 113 – Stolen Property.

18 U.S.C. Section 1030 (a)(2), (a)(4), (a)(5): Interstate Transportation, Sale or Receipt of Stolen Property.

18 U.S.C. Section 1341, 1343: Prohibition on Devices to Intercept Communications.

18 U.S.C. Section 1831: Unauthorized Access of a Computer.

18 U.S.C. Section 1832: Foreign Economic Espionage.

18 U.S.C. Section 2314, 2315: Mail and Wire Fraud Statutes.

18 U.S.C. Section 2318: Trafficking in Recordings of Live Musical Performances (Bootlegging).

18 U.S.C. Section 2319 A: Digital Millennium Copyright Act (Anti-Circumvention). The DMCA is a United States copyright law that implements treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It criminalizes production and distribution of devices, services, or technology, that circumvent things (Digital Rights Management or DRM) that control access to copyrighted works. It also criminalizes circumventing an access control, even if there is no actual infringement of a copyright. In addition, the DMCA raised the penalties for copyright infringement on the Internet. The law was passed October 12, 1998, and then just weeks later, Title 17 of the United States Code was amended to extend the reach of copyright, while limiting the liability for the providers of online services for copyright infringement by their users.

18 U.S.C. Section 2319 B: Trafficking in Illicit Labels or Counterfeit Labels, Documentation, or Packaging for Copyrighted Works.

18 U.S.C. Section 2320 (a): Trafficking in Counterfeit Trademarks, Services, or Certifications, Criminal Copyright Infringement (Felony and Misdemeanor).

18 U.S.C. Section 2512: Unauthorized Reception of Cable Service.

47 U.S.C. Section 553: Trafficking in Satellite Decryption Devices.

47 U.S.C. Section 605: Unauthorized publication or use of communications.

How accurate are cybercrime statistics? One problem is when laws are written like hammers, much of the world looks like a nail. Like many dangers, cybercrimes and the damage from them, are often wildly exaggerated and distorted. Putting every Windows computer behind a cheap router would go a long way to improving general internet security.

Most people with computers that are getting hacked, do not even know about it, so those problems and crimes are not reported, whereas downloading a MP3 file is a crime that is occasionally reported and prosecuted. Some cybercrimes are vastly under-reported, and some are wildly over-reported. This means that most news and statistics about cybercrime should be taken lightly. Why not put your computer behind a cheap router and keep your computer updated, and either get a Mac, and/or install good anti-virus and firewall software?