Most young cybercriminals quit the scene soon after age 20, mirroring broader youth crime trends, Cybernews reports.
Seventy-six percent of cybercrime actors reached the peak of nefarious activity at around age 20, while only 4% continued exhibiting increased odds of criminal activity later in life, with more advanced hacking skills and technological curiosity associated with long-term involvement in cybercrime, according to an Atlas Research study commissioned by the Dutch Research and Data Centre.
Researchers noted that hacking relies on information and communications systems as both tools and targets and often begins with skill development in childhood.
"The risk of being caught for cybercrime is very low," they wrote. Youth crime in the Netherlands carries annual social costs 2.6 billion, with 1% of offenders causing 44% of total damage.
The study also found that 87% of adolescents never enter the justice system, and 8.6% are suspected only once, based on data from 500,000 students who finished primary school between 2008 and 2011.
