Glossary definition: Crimeware

Crimeware: Malicious Software Used for Cybercrime

Crimeware is malicious software (malware) designed to facilitate cybercrime. It is typically used by cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to computer systems, steal confidential data, and/or extort money from victims. Crimeware can take many forms, including viruses, worms, Trojans, ransomware, spyware, and rootkits. It is often spread through phishing emails, malicious websites, and drive-by downloads. Crimeware is often used to steal financial information such as banking credentials, credit card numbers, and passwords, as well as confidential data such as trade secrets, medical records, and personal information. Crimeware can also be used to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and to infect computers with ransomware, which locks users out of their systems until a ransom is paid. Crimeware is a major threat to individuals, businesses, and governments, and it is becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect.