Assessing Harm from Cyber Crime

This chapter discusses a harm concept that enables a more comprehensive assessment of the consequences of cyber crime. Even though harm resulting from cyber crime is not fundamentally different from harm that is caused by other forms of crime or crime in general, the reach, scope, and volume of crime facilitated by information and communications technology have transformed risks posed to individuals, organizations, and nations, and challenge conventional approaches of crime detection and prevention. Assessments of the impact of cyber crime have been focusing on estimating the cost in monetary value. However, most significant harm might not be experienced as a loss of money, but as a disruption or destabilization of systems that are built on trust. This article advocates for a human-centric approach to cyber security, which emphasizes harm mitigation strategies.