Criminal profiling is both art and science based on generalizations that categorize various types of computer criminals. Profiling uses statistical data for inductive profiling and deductive profiling. Inductive profiling assumes established patterns: criminal offenders tend to follow a common background and motive. Deductive profiling seeks to reconstruct the offender’s actions: hypothesizes the offender’s actions before, during, and after committing a crime.

Stereotypical cybercriminals range from unsophisticated “script kiddies,” who lack programming skills, to expert criminals who create custom exploits and attack tools. Many cybercriminals disregard computer crime laws and often rationalize why those laws are invalid or inapplicable, especially when espousing political agendas against corporate practices or national policies.

Recurring types of attackers include the following: ▪ Cracker: A malicious attacker who deliberately intrudes upon systems or networks to gain unauthorized access or unauthorized resources. ▪ Hacker: An individual who enjoys breaking systems or software without causing harm, presumably with the intent to better understand and improve security. ▪ Hat colors are often attributed to depict the mentality of a hacker or a cracker. Black hat corresponds to a harmful system intruder. White hat corresponds to a helpful security practitioner. Gray hat corresponds to a hacker who may act in goodwill, but also crosses the line to commit illegal acts. ▪ A gray hat may gain unauthorized access to a computer system to raise awareness—expose flaws to improve security—of a stubborn or uninformed administrator. Although there is no malicious intent, the lack of authorization creates a criminal act that can be prosecuted if received poorly. ▪ Identity thieves and Internet scammers: People looking to steal personal