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‘Cybercrime is bigger than arms & drugs’ – cybercrime fighter

As digital crime has become more common, cybercrime has grown into one of the biggest global threats. The head of the Moscow-based cybersecurity firm Group-IB Ilya Sachkov talks about the nature of cybercrime and the difficulties governments face fighting it. 

Cybercrime is “bigger than arms and drugs,” Sachkov said. “Simple numbers: in 2015 the amount of cybercrime money was a trillion dollars,” while “classic crime like drug dealing is just billions.” That’s why organised crime groups started venturing into the cyber world. “It’s safer, the money is bigger, and there are many talented people who could do the technical work.”

Virtually anyone can become a target of cybercrime, “because of the smartphone,” Sachkov went on. However, law enforcement won’t be able to help the victim. “You need someone fast who will collect digital evidence very fast, will use some good engineering tools and then will go to the police and will help to prosecute someone. So it’s not something that the government can do right now.” 

Private companies are “now faster than the government,” he said. Although governments “do a lot of things to fight cybercriminals,” they “cannot find talented people.”

Tune in for the whole interview to learn more about cybercrime. 



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