According to the credit-checking firm Experian, online identity theft increased 300 percent between 2010 and 2012 – just one of the areas of online crime that has grown in recent years. Cyber crime – including everything from identify theft and hacking to virus distribution and computer fraud – is a complex area of criminology and one that is receiving more attention as computers are prevalent in our lives and handle more of our personal information. Like other areas of crime, its causes are sometimes difficult to establish, but certain trends in cyber crime are emerging. Writer Bio
